Empire State Building to honor Nets legend Vince Carter’s No. 15 jersey retirement

A historic landmark will pay tribute to one of the Nets’ all-time greats as his jersey elevates to the rafters. 

The Empire State Building is set to be lit red, white and blue, in an ode to the former Nets color scheme, as Brooklyn immortalizes 2024 Hall of Fame inductee Vince Carter on Saturday, Jan. 25 with the retirement of his iconic No. 15 at halftime against the Miami Heat. That same No. 15 will also rotate on the structure’s spire, a sight Carter will visit for himself during a special event on Friday, Jan. 24 ahead of his festivities, the Nets announced Thursday. 

Carter will soon join 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) as the seventh Nets player with a jersey hanging above Barclays Center. The eight-time NBA All-Star averaged a career-high 23.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists during five seasons and 374 contests with the franchise, which he helped lead to three postseason appearances. 

Through 22 seasons of Vinsanity, Carter graced Toronto (1998-2004), New Jersey (2004-2009), Orlando (2009-2010), Phoenix (2010-2011), Dallas (2011-2014), Memphis (2014-2017), Sacramento (2017-2018) and Atlanta (2018-2020), leaving only Robert Parish and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar featured in more NBA games. 

He still owns the Nets’ second-highest playoff scoring average at 26 points per game and is one of 10 players to reach career marks of 25,000 points, 5,000 rebounds and 1,500 steals. 

Other accolades Carter stacked on his mantle along the way: Florida Mr. Basketball (1995), All-ACC First Team (1998), NBA Rookie of the Year (1999), NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (2000), All-NBA selection (2000, 2001) and Olympic gold medalist (2000 Sydney), to name a few.

On Thursday, Jan. 23, a 90-minute documentary entitled “From Daytona Beach to Brooklyn,” presented by Qatar Airways, will premiere at Brooklyn Paramount. The film explores his life and unimaginable basketball career, with an emphasis on his Nets impact, including interviews with Carter, former teammates, coaches and family members, among others. 

The first 10,000 fans to arrive at Barclays Center for Carter’s ceremony will receive a free, commemorative bobblehead, plus chances to win a meet and greet with the Nets legend or a photo with his banner following the game. Several interactive displays throughout the arena will celebrate the Carter legacy, and limited edition Mitchell and Ness merchandise will be sold at a pop-up location on the arena’s main concourse, in addition to the Brooklyn Fanatics team store.