It’s no secret that LeBron James was inspired to play basketball by Michael Jordan. LeBron has spoken highly of Jordan for a long time and he has talked about what Jordan meant to him. He was even going to join the University of North Carolina, Jordan’s alma mater. But not because of His Airness, but because of a former eight-time NBA All-Star.

We all know that LeBron joined the NBA when he was in high school at the age of 18. He came in the 2003 NBA draft and has gone on to become one of the greatest players of all time. However, a not of people may not know this, but LeBron actually contemplated going to college.

LeBron James credits Vince Carter as the inspiration to join Michael Jordan’s college

Any college in the country would have wanted to have a player like LeBron James. But the college that LeBron was looking at was University of North Carolina. UNC is considered a powerhouse in college basketball and they have produced some historically transcendent players, including LeBron’s idol, Michael Jeffrey Jordan.

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But the player who actually made LeBron think about joining UNC was not Jordan, it was Vince Carter. Vinsanity played for UNC for three years, and he went on to have the longest career in NBA history. He is one of the most popular players in this millennium and he was the reason why LeBron wanted to go to UNC.

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LeBron explained what Vince Carter meant to him as a basketball player. He said, “When you are watching Vince, you are understanding, this guy is bigger than North Carolina. He is the guy at college game that gets 12 to 14 points but you like, he has business out here on this court.” 

James further added that he almost ended up in North Carolina because Vince Carter went there. In addition, he also explained that the eight-time All-Star looked way out of the league of his contemporaries. In fact, after watching his games, James felt like Carter came to play only for conditioning. His talents were set for a different stage.

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Vince was one of the iconic players of this generation and he was loved by many. He played for a bunch of teams in his career and he provided highlight reels that can last decades. And he even inspired many players of this generation, including King James.