The stage was almost set. The Nets rolled out a red carpet for their guest of honor just outside the Barclays Center loading dock. Photos of his greatest accomplishments during his five seasons with the franchise lined the hall leading into the interview room. “Hangtime, forever” was printed on a brick wall.
To the left of the podium sat a No. 15 jersey, to the right a No. 15 banner, both colored in the Nets’ throwback red, white and blue color scheme. Reporters filled the room around 3:25 p.m., his family settled into the front row moments later. And when Vince Carter, the man of the hour, finally arrived for his jersey retirement news conference, everyone in attendance was treated to a trip down memory lane.
“Is this the playoffs?,” Carter questioned as he took his seat.
Carter reflected on his life and career with the New Jersey Nets for 30 minutes. He talked about playing with Jason Kidd, how they once teamed up in a bowling league, how Kidd overthrew a lob in their first game together — on purpose — just to test Carter’s limits.
“It’s one thing to tell somebody, yet sometimes you just gotta show them,” Carter said. “And if you throw it, I’m going to try. I’m going to at least make an attempt. And I think that set the tone for some great years.”
The 47-year-old also admitted that his iconic dunk over Alonzo Mourning in 2005 was just as special in his own mind, even today.
“I remember more than anything glancing at the bench and my college teammate, Jeff McInnis, acting a fool over there,” Carter said. “I had the mean mug face, and it felt so good, but inside, I was laughing.”
Carter averaged 23.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists across 14,157 minutes in a Nets uniform. He led the franchise to three playoff appearances from 2005-07, reached the Eastern Conference semifinals twice, and made three straight All-Star appearances from 2005-07.
The Nets went 191-183 with Carter on the court. And while Carter and Kidd never brought a championship home to New Jersey, they led one of the more successful stretches in franchise history — and that’s why both of their numbers now hang together in the rafters after Saturday’s ceremony.
“It was new life,” Carter said. “The crazy thing about that is that I was criticized for it. It was strange because my role in Toronto was just, give me the ball. I can get you a bucket. I didn’t mind having to work hard to get a bucket. Then, when I got here, that’s all I knew. But then you have a guy who makes the game easier for you in Jason Kidd.”
Julius Erving’s No. 32 jersey has been retired in Nets lore for a while now. The Hall of Fame forward, who stared for the Nets from 1973-76, introduced Carter into the Hall of Fame back in October. Erving was always Carter’s idol, and now their jerseys are forever immortalized together in franchise history.
“I’m truly honored. Period,” Carter said. “And now I get to go up beside you? God, it’s crazy.”
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