Vince Carter explains how random Nets teammate inspired ‘Rev it up’ celebration

Hall of Famer Vince Carter’s post-dunk ‘Rev it up’ randomly originated after hours nearly 20 years ago, through short-lived Nets center Arthur Johnson. 

The Nets signed Johnson in October 2005 and waived him within a month, yet somehow he lives on in franchise folklore – not through basketball, but his dance moves. In a chat with his former teammate Richard Jefferson, Carter recalled that Johnson took full advantage of the NYC nightlife during a quick stop in New Jersey, using Nets practices to show him, Jefferson and the rest of the team a mere glimpse of what those long nights had held.

Not quite dancing, maybe. Jefferson said the 6-foot-10 big used a slightly different term for his antics. 

“We were like, ‘Wait, Arthur, were you dancing in the club?’,” Jefferson remembered. “He was like, ‘Nah, man, you know, I boogie a little bit. I lift my arms up.’” 

Soon enough, unexpectedly, Johnson’s vibrant personality was no longer present. Carter said it was like losing the life of the party, which led to the acrobatic guard deciding Johnson had earned a shoutout following one of his next high-flying acts. Mimicking Johnson's hilarious dances, thus 'Rev it up’ was born. Of course, the only issue was Carter’s play style so frequently led to dunks that spectators had no choice but to start asking about the subtle hand gesture.  

“They start saying, ‘Oh, you ride motorbikes?’,” Carter joked. 

‘Revving it up’ was a far better explanation than revealing Johnson’s affinity for letting loose on the New York club scene and vibrantly recounting his tales in the facility. Nonetheless, even in brief passing, one simple nod to a member of NBA obscurity became history for one of the Nets’ most iconic figures. 

Johnson played four seasons at the University of Missouri before going undrafted in 2004. Phoenix, Atlanta and Chicago all provided Summer League opportunities, with the Denver Nuggets being the only team to sign him other than the Nets (which lasted roughly three months). He also played internationally for Aris B.C., Cherkasy Monkeys, Paperdi Juvecaserta, Vestel, Maliye Milli, and Istanbul BBSK. 

On the other hand, so coincidentally connected, Carter’s No. 15 jersey was immortalized on Jan. 25 in honor of his electrifying impact on the Nets through five seasons. Carter is now just the seventh player to have his jersey hung in the Barclays Center rafters, alongside 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). 

Twenty-two NBA seasons and a Hall of Fame career leads to an unavoidable accumulation of aura, some of which Carter will always have to credit to one, Arthur Johnson.