Sunday, July 9, 2020
The Toronto Raptors were founded in 1995 and they have just recently reached their goal: They were the NBA champions last year. It marked their first championship even though they made a total of 12 playoff appearances. They have had a lot of talented players on their rosters but the greatest Raptors player of all-time, in my opinion, is Vince Carter.
If “age ain’t nothing but a number” was a person, it would be Vince Carter. Okay, that was a corny joke…sorry. But, nevertheless, Carter is the only player to play 22 seasons and in four different decades. That’s pretty amazing. He was well-known for his spectacular dunks, giving him nicknames such as “Half Man, Half Amazing” but he can still score from different areas of the court, as well. He was definitely a marquee athlete.
Carter played with the Raptors for the first seven seasons of his career. During his time there, he was a five-time All-Star who was named to the All-NBA Second Team and Third Team once each. He averaged 23.4 points per game, along with 5.2. rebounds a game, 3.9 assists a game, 1.3 steals a game, and 1.0 blocks a game. He could also shoot the ball well. He shot 45% from the field while knocking down 38% of his three-pointers. He finished with a true shooting percentage of 53%.
As of right now, Vince Carter is the Toronto Raptors’ fourth all-time leader in points with 9,420. He is also their eighth all-time leader in rebounds with 2,091, their sixth all-time leader in assists with 1,553, their fifth all-time leader in steals with 534, their fourth all-time leader in blocks with 415, and their fifth all-time leader in three-pointers made with 554.
Carter helped the Raptors make the two seasons in a row but unfortunately, could never win a championship. He did, however, average 25.7 points per game in the playoffs. He also averaged 6.4 rebounds a game, 5.0 assists a game, 1.5 steals a game, and 1.6 blocks a game. He shot 42% from the field while drilling 37% of his three-pointers. He finished with a combined true shooting percentage of 51%.
Currently, Vince Carter is the Toronto Raptors’ seventh all-time leader in points scored during the playoffs with 385. He is also their 15th all-time leader in rebounds with 96, their eighth all-time leader in assists with 75, their eighth all-time leader in steals with 23, their sixth all-time leader in blocks with 24, and their 12th all-time leader in three-pointers made with 26.
Although the Raptors just won their first championship last season, they still have had a lot of great, talented players on their rosters. They’ve had guys like Chris Bosh, Alvin Williams, and even Carter’s cousin, Tracy McGrady. Recently, the Raptors featured stars Kawhi Leonard and DeMar DeRozan who are no longer with the franchise. But they still have Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, and Pascal Siakam, who are spectacular. But, in my opinion, the greatest Raptors player of all-time is Vince Carter.
AllBallTakes 