In something that has only previously happened in dreams of mine, throwback jerseys have begun to spring up mysteriously, hanging from random locations sprinkled throughout the Toronto area.
These throwback jerseys are all early 2000s-style Toronto Raptors purple/black road jerseys featuring Vince Carter‘s name and number 15. This leads to speculation that the Toronto Raptors are preparing to officially announce they will retire his No. 15 jersey, confirming recent reports. According to the reports, Carter’s jersey retirement is expected to occur on November 2nd during a game against the Sacramento Kings. If confirmed, this will mark the first time in franchise history that the Raptors have retired a player’s jersey.
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The Raptors acquired Carter at the 1998 NBA Draft following a trade with the Golden State Warriors. During his six-and-a-half seasons with the team, he quickly became the face of the franchise, earning Rookie of the Year honours in 1999 and winning the Slam Dunk Contest in 2000. Carter also averaged 23.4 points per game, a franchise record, and appeared in six All-Star Games as a Raptor.
LINK: The logos and uniforms Vince Carter wore during his career
LINK: Toronto Raptors all-time logo and uniform history
The jerseys appearing around the city match leaked designs for the Raptors’ 2024-25 City Edition and Classic Edition uniforms. The City Edition jersey features the Raptors logo styled to emulate Carter’s famous dunk from the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest, while the Classic Edition is a throwback to the uniform Carter wore during that same contest. These sightings may signal not only an announcement of Carter’s jersey retirement but also the unveiling of these new single-season uniforms.
Reports from Sportsnet and TSN suggest that the Raptors have been preparing to recognize Carter for some time. This season marks the 30th anniversary of the franchise, and Carter is set to be enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in October, making the timing of the potential jersey retirement ideal.
While Carter’s contributions to the Raptors are undeniable, his departure from the team in 2004 remains controversial. During his final season in Toronto, tensions between Carter and the team were widely reported, including an infamous incident where Carter was accused of tipping off opponents of upcoming plays, leaving some fans with understandable resentment. Carter was traded to the New Jersey Nets shortly after and routinely booed by fans during subsequent appearances in Toronto.
Bruce Arthur, writing for the Toronto Star, noted that while Carter’s influence was significant, other players, such as Kyle Lowry, may have had a greater overall impact on the franchise. “Fine, retire Vince Carter’s jersey,” Arthur wrote. Time has sanded away the roughest edges of his time with the Toronto Raptors, and nostalgia is as appealing as ever.” He later added, “Some Raptors fans will never forgive Carter, and they’re right not to.”
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Regardless of the differing opinions, the jerseys now seen across Toronto seem to all but confirm what’s about to come. Vince Carter’s number 15 will be hanging in the rafters at Scotiabank Arena by the end of 2024. Honestly, all I care about is that they make the banner purple and black to be as era-accurate as possible.