An emotional Vince Carter acknowledged his contentious exit from Toronto as his No. 15 jersey became the first number retired by the Raptors in a halftime ceremony during Saturday’s game against Sacramento.
TORONTO — An emotional Vince Carter acknowledged his contentious exit from Toronto as his No. 15 jersey became the first number retired by the Raptors in a halftime ceremony during Saturday night’s game against Sacramento.
« It’s not just Carter 15 going up, it’s all of us going up », Carter told fans before a banner with his name and number was lifted to the rafters. « The memories, however you view it, goes up tonight. I hope and pray we enjoy our jersey being retired forever together. »
Carter walked to center court to begin the ceremony and gestured with his hands to request cheers from the crowd, and then balled his fists and roared « Come on! » before saluting the response.
Former Toronto teammates Tracy McGrady, Antonio Davis, Kevin Willis, Charles Oakley, Morris Peterson, Dee Brown, Jerome Williams, Alvin Williams and Muggsy Bogues joined Carter, his family and Raptors president Masai Ujiri on the court for the ceremony.
« He taught us how to fly », Ujiri said in introducing Carter to the cheering crowd.
Carter had to pause several times to control his emotions or dab at tears during a pregame news conference. At one point, speaking about his family, a tearful Carter beckoned his young son Vincent Jr. to join him at the podium for an embrace.
