Brooklyn continues counting down to the highly-anticipated retirement ceremony for Nets legend Vince Carter’s No. 15 jersey on Saturday, Jan. 25.
Carter will become just the seventh player in franchise history to raise his number into Nets immortality, joining Bill Melchionni (No. 25), Julius Erving (No. 32), John Williamson (No. 23), Drazen Petrovic (No. 3), Charles “Buck” Williams (No. 52) and Jason Kidd (No. 5) in the rafters at Barclays Center. The Daytona Beach, Fla. native recorded career bests in points (23.6), rebounds (5.8) and assists (4.7) throughout five seasons and 374 appearances with the Nets.
It’s official: We’re raising @mrvincecarter15’s jersey to the rafters next season.
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) May 15, 2024
And we invited a pair of Nets legends to assist with the announcement.
🔗 https://t.co/IkjyKxMU3n pic.twitter.com/qi1khzBK39
Half man, half amazing: the eight-time NBA All-Star and 2024 Hall of Fame inductee carried the Nets to three postseason berths, including two Eastern Conference Semifinals runs, and still holds the franchise’s second-best playoff scoring average (26 ppg).
In 22 NBA seasons, Carter spent time with the Raptors (1998-2004), Nets (2004-2009), Magic (2009-2010), Suns (2010-2011), Mavericks (2011-2014), Grizzlies (2014-2017), Kings (2017-2018) and Hawks (2018-2020). Only Robert Parish and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have played more games throughout NBA history.
He is the first player to play 22 or more seasons in the league and one of just 10 with 25,000 points, 5,000 rebounds and 1,500 steals.
Carter also earned honors of 1995 Florida Mr. Basketball, first-team All-ACC at North Carolina (1998), NBA Rookie of the Year (1999), NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (2000), All-NBA (2000, 2001) and Olympic gold medalist (2000 Sydney) with his iconic play. At the 2000 Summer Olympic Games, he scored a team-high 118 points in eight appearances to lead the United States, although maybe most remembered for his “Dunk of Death” over 7-foot-2 French center Frederic Weis.
countdown's on—15 days until number 15 goes to the rafters.
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 10, 2025
relive @mrvincecarter15's top 5 Nets plays ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/kpa9QkYOKa
Honoring his Nets tenure, Brooklyn posted a tribute video Friday, just 15 days from the ceremony, highlighting Carter’s top-five plays with the Nets.
The montage featured a January 2009 buzzer-beating three against the Hawks in overtime, a December 2005 reverse dunk off the lob from Kidd, his scooping 360 finger roll against the Lakers in January 2005, another game-winner from his January 2006 42-point road performance against the Raptors, and of course, the notorious behind-the-back dribble into a monstrous poster over Miami’s Alonzo Mourning in November 2005.
Carter often took what Nets play-by-play voice Ian Eagle called ‘the imaginary ladder,’ with Vinsanity at its finest, and soon enough he’ll do it again.
Save the date. Saturday, Jan. 25 – No. 15, etched into Nets history forever.