Vince Carter planned on the 2019-20 season being his last in the NBA, but there was some speculation that the future Hall of Famer could come back for another year after the season was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Though he originally planned on playing more games, Carter is still calling it a career.
Carter confirmed on the “Winging It” podcast this week that he has played his final game in the NBA.
“I’m officially finished playing basketball,” he said. “I’m officially done playing basketball professionally.”
The 43-year-old Carter said he is still open to playing in charity events and exhibitions, but his pro career is over. He called the season being cut short a “weird ending,” but he added that his love for playing golf has made the decision easier.
Carter would have taken part in the resumption of the NBA season in Orlando, but the Atlanta Hawks are not among the 22 teams that were invited. After the season was postponed, Hawks star Trae Young had a classy tribute to Carter.
Carter played 22 seasons in the NBA. He was named an All-Star eight times and won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award with the Toronto Raptors in 1999. He is currently 19th on the NBA’s all-time leading scorers list with 25,728 points.
