What a year it has been for Vince Carter! He will be headlining the 2024 Hall of Fame induction, where he will be getting introduced by Julius ‘Dr. J’ Erving and Tracy McGrady for the momentous occasion. Plus, the two teams he contributed to the most are retiring his jersey in the upcoming season. So what could go wrong, one may ask? Well, according to reports, he wasn’t the first choice to receive the honor of being the first Raptor player whose jersey would be raised to the Scotiabank Arena of the Raptors.

“REPORT: “High-ranking” members of the Raptors wanted Kyle Lowry’s jersey retired before Vince Carter’s, per @JLew1050 .” TSN’s Josh Lewenberg reported on X, “There were high-ranking members of the organization who maintained that Kyle Lowry should be the first to receive the honour, having spent nearly a decade with the club, been the face of its most successful era, and led it to a championship.”

Lowry will play in his 19th NBA season, but his retirement decision is not official yet. Nobody knows when he will hang his boots. “With Carter’s Hall of Fame induction coinciding with the Raptors’ 30th season, the timing felt right and there was a strong push made on his behalf. ” Lewenberg’s report also mentions the significance of the retirement date.

Kyle Lowry spent 9 seasons with the Raptors and earned 6x All-Star appearances during that time. Not to forget the only championship for the franchise came during his time. Currently, he sits at #2 position for the most points scored behind DeMar DeRozan.

The November 2 date means that the game would be on a Saturday night, and just two weeks into the new season. Plus, the day before, the Raptors will face the Lakers so that might take attention away from the festivities. Hence, they chose the Kings game, which means that Toronto’s top scorer, DeMar DeRozan, would be in attendance. It will be the first time he returns to Scotiabank Arena since his move to Sacramento.

What events led to Vince Carter’s selection

The 8x NBA All-Star would become the first Raptor player for the jersey retirement in the franchise history. Currently, the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs have honored 19 players with jersey retirements since they share the same building. Considering Vince Carter’s contribution, it doesn’t seem controversial, but the events leading up to the decision certainly were.

In May, the Brooklyn Nets announced Carter’s jersey retirement. He achieved his best-ever stat line, 23.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in the five seasons with them. In contrast, he played for the Raptors in 7 different seasons, where he also gained popularity for his NBA 2000 dunk championship.

In July, the Canadian franchise announced the celebration of its 30th anniversary, and they also unveiled a new logo and promised a year-long calendar of special moments and events honoring the culture, the city, and the icons. Many expected a similar announcement around Carter, but the fans got the leaks about the city edition jersey, which has the team’s mascot posed as Carter, making the iconic between-the-legs dunk.

But the Nets once again rained on the parade, as they made the details official about Carter’s retirement. The event will take place in January at the Barclays Center. So the announcement from the Raptors has mixed feelings, plus the reports also clarify the same about the executives’ decision.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.