On Sunday afternoon, the Sacramento Kings traveled north of the border to face off against the Toronto Raptors. It wasn’t just another NBA game, it was quite possibly the last time Vince Carter plays on the Air Canada Centre floor.
Carter, 40, elected to sign a one-year deal worth $8 million with the Sacramento Kings over the summer but there was reported interest in a possible reunion between ‘Vinsanity’ and the franchise he called home for the first six years of his career for one last run in the ‘Six’. The asking price for Carter’s services was too high for a team with big money tied up elsewhere.
But when Carter checked out of the game late in the fourth quarter with a Raptors 108-93 victory all but secured, the fans showed their appreciation.
Vince Carter receives a standing ovation from the crowd in Toronto!#ThisIsWhyWePlay pic.twitter.com/b6J57PubYU
— NBA (@NBA) December 17, 2017
This moment could be Carter’s final trip to Toronto as a player and it sparked some interest on what’s next for the two parties involved. Vince has already said he believes the Raptors will retire his jersey but will he wear it once more? When it comes to a return to the team, Carter aligns with the thinking of Masai Ujiri and believes it’s not a matter of if it will happen, it’s a matter of when.
Following comes from Blake Murphy of Vice Sports.
He’s unsure if he’ll play another season as the league’s elder statesmen, a decision that changes by the day. What’s clear to him, and to anyone who’s been following along the last few years, is that his career is ending in Toronto, some way or another.
“It’ll happen, for sure. Somehow, whether it’s one day or something, it’ll happen,” Carter said. “It’s supposed to happen, I think. I can say that now. I’ve had a lot of people say it’s supposed to happen, so now I guess I have to believe.”
