Vince Carter Got A Standing Ovation After What May Have Been His Last Game In Toronto


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Vince Carter is a testament to the notion that time heals all wounds. After strong-arming the Raptors into trading him to the Nets back in 2004, Carter was persona non grata around Toronto for many years.

But as the 40-year-old vet inches ever closer to retirement, he has slowly rehabilitated his once-sour relationship with the team that drafted him and the city where he spent many of his prime years. A couple of seasons ago when Carter was a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, the Raptors organization put together a touching video tribute that signaled it was time for both sides to bury the hatchet.

When the Sacramento Kings traveled to Toronto for an afternoon matinee on Sunday, the home crowd once again gave Carter a standing ovation, anticipating that it may have been the last time the future Hall-of-Famer set foot on the Air Canada Centre court.

Carter is in his 20th NBA season, joining an elite group of just seven other players in history to log two full decades in the league. It seems increasingly likely that not only will the Raptors end up retiring his jersey one day, but he’ll probably return to the franchise in some capacity in the future.

With the way Carter has maintained his health as he continues to advance in years, that could potentially mean as a player for one final season. But we’re guessing it’s more likely that means in some sort of coaching or managerial role. Either way, their mended relationship should offer inspiration for all those teams and players who have gone through ugly breakups lately.

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