Toronto Raptors To Honor Vince Carter

The Toronto Raptors will give Vince Carter a video tribute tonight as they celebrate their 20-year anniversary.

The Memphis Grizzlies are getting to face the Toronto Raptors on the road, and it is a special occasion for a player that is currently on the Grizzlies’ roster. There aren’t normally ceremonies or tribute videos to current players that are actually playing for the visiting team, but that will not be the case this evening. Toronto will be showing a video tribute to former superstar Vince Carter, who was a huge part of the Raptors’ franchise.

Carter played with the Raptors for six full seasons and part of a seventh before heading to New Jersey to play with the Nets. He put up monster numbers during his days with the Raptors, and made the first basketball stamp on the Air Canada Centre by nailing the first basketball shot in the building. That is something that he always recognizes when he walks in the building, and he can remember the first game he played in that building.

"“When I walk in here and see February 20th, 1999, that’s the first thing I think of: when this building opened. I just remember getting the opportunity to make history, making the first shot. That’s one of the first things I think of. You can’t take that away.”"

Toronto will be celebrating their 20th year anniversary, and Carter will have a video tribute about his tenure with the Raptors. It is something that is going to be emotional for the fans and Carter, and one day he will likely have his number hanging in the rafters of the building that he helped open.

There is no question that Carter is looking forward to seeing the video and feeling the atmosphere on the building while it is on, and he talked about his thoughts on the subject.

"“I’m OK with it. It’s something that is memorable to me. To see the video, right here, in the building where it all happened? You can’t beat that. It’s one thing to sit it at home and watch it with your friends, like, ‘Oh yeah,’ or watch it on your computer. But right here? It’s special.”"

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One thing that makes this a bit more awkward is that Carter is in the first year of a three-year contract that he signed with the Grizzlies. There were some rumblings that he wanted to sign with the Raptors this past offseason, but it just didn’t happen. Even though he’s with another team, it is a very nice gesture that the fans will absolutely love.

Needless to say, tonight is going to be a very special night in Toronto for the Raptors’ organization, their fan base, and one of their opposing players. Carter will forever hold a place in his heart for Toronto, and the fans haven’t forgotten him either. If you get the chance to watch the game, make sure to tune in and see the ceremony. The video will also be all over the internet for you to watch if you can’t watch it live.

Next: Who Is The Best Player In The Toronto Raptors' History?

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