The 50 greatest players in NBA history, ranked by win shares

Greatest NBA Player #41: Vince Carter-125.27

Perhaps we should have expected a man nicknamed “half-man, half-amazing” to defy expectations, but Vince Carter blew them out of the water. Early in his career, Carter was known as an explosive athlete who used that superior ability to blow by defenders and elevate and attack the rim like few others could. He was also a capable shooter, which, when combined with his athletic bursts, made him a big-time scorer in the NBA for years in both Toronto and New Jersey.

However, once he was traded to Orlando at age 33, his role changed. He slowly transitioned away from being an all-star to being a role player. Given how reliant he initially was on athleticism, it seemed like he wouldn’t play for more than a few more seasons. Surprisingly, however, he played another full decade, spending time in Phoenix, Dallas, Memphis, Sacramento, and finally Atlanta, before retiring after 22 seasons and 1,541 career games.

Carter holds the NBA record for most seasons played and is third in games played behind two other players on this list. Had his career gone the typical route, he would have still had a great career. But playing a full decade after making his last of eight all-star appearances and still being a very productive player definitely explains why he is 41st in all time win shares.