When it comes to the best dunkers in basketball history, who are some names that come to mind?
For me, it’s former UNC standout Vince Carter, who truly developed himself into a star at the professional level.
Carter played at North Carolina for three seasons (1995-1996, 1996-1997, 1997-1998), helping his teammates make the Final Four twice. Carter averaged 12.3 points per game across his three years as a Tar Heel, highlighted by a career best 15.6 PPG in his final season.
Drafted fifth overall in the 1998 NBA Draft, Carter played 22 seasons with eight different teams, most notably his first six-and-a-half with the Toronto Raptors. Eight All-Star nods later and 21st on the NBA All-Time scoring list, Carter earned himself a 2024 Hall of Fame induction.
As a thank you for Carter’s service to the city of Toronto, Air Canada is also gifting Carter an A-220 aircraft – complete with his 15 on the side.
On Saturday, Nov. 2, Toronto will be also retiring Carter’s legendary number 15 during its game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Carter’s jersey retirement also marks a historical moment, with his 15 the first number to be retired in Raptors’ franchise history.
Carter is arguably one of the greatest professional basketball players to never win a championship – or make one. Carter’s 2010 season with the Orlando Magic was the closest he got, as Orlando advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, before losing to the now reigning NBA Finals champion Boston Celtics.
In 2000-2001 with Toronto, Carter averaged a career-best 27.6 points per game. This was one of Carter’s 10 seasons averaging a minimum 20 points per game, showcasing how efficient of a scorer he was.
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