Vince Carter is going to make history this season. When Carter takes the floor for the Atlanta Hawks, he’ll tie Robert Parrish, Kevin Willis, Kevin Garnett, and (whenever he plays his first game) Dirk Nowitzki as the only players in league history to spend 21 seasons in the Association. It’s quite the accomplishment and a testament to how well Carter has been able to take care of his body to perform at an NBA-caliber level for more than two decades.
However, as the adage goes, father time is undefeated. Carter understands this, and on Thursday, the future Hall of Fame inductee revealed that he’s almost positive that he has one more year left in him.
“I say it’s my last year and honestly I fight with it every day,” Carter told the media on a call regarding his upcoming role as an in-game analyst for the upcoming Jr. NBA World Championship. “My friends, family, associates, they’re all like ‘man, you don’t really know,’ and I honestly sometimes don’t think I know. I think this is my last year playing. I feel great, but sometimes you just know when it’s time. If you asked me this, probably, last month, I was like ‘nah man, I can give it another year, because I know I can.’ I’m pretty much ninety-something percent sure.”
Carter made it a point to stress that, despite his estimation, anything can happen. He also said this uncertainty is part of why he’s trying to get his ducks in a row for his post-retirement life — in addition to calling the Jr. NBA World Championships this month, Carter has appeared on television for ESPN, including some work in the booth during Summer League.
As for when a decision will come, Carter says that’s something that will come after the season, because he doesn’t want his future to be on his mind while he’s suiting up for the Hawks.
“I refuse to make a decision like that or worry about something like that during the season,” Carter said. “The ultimate goal for me throughout the season, obviously, is just playing my best basketball and making sure I can help this team win as many games as possible. So, once this season is over, I’ll take some time and decide definitively.”
It’s going to be weird watching basketball without Carter on the floor, but whenever he decides to hang them up, it’ll merely start the countdown clock to the day that he’s enshrined in Springfield. Oh, and if anyone in the Toronto Raptors’ front office is reading this: Please, just one last time, find a way to acquire him and let Vince Carter take the floor for your franchise before you retire.
