The Nets will retire Vince Carter’s No. 15 jersey ahead of their game against the Miami Heat at Barclays Center on Jan. 25, but the honors won’t stop there.
That same day, the Empire State Building will be lit up in the Nets’ throwback red, white and blue color scheme with No.15 rotating on the spire. Carter is expected to attend a special ceremony at the site the morning of Jan. 24.
Carter’s jersey retirement weekend will begin with the premiere of a 90-minute documentary on Jan. 23 at Brooklyn Paramount, a film that chronicles his Hall of Fame basketball journey. He will also address the media during a special press conference prior to the Heat game.
“It’s pretty dope, man, because it’s forever up there,” Carter said in a short video shared on the Nets’ social media accounts in May. “It’s Nets [No.] 15, Carter. Can’t use it again. Doesn’t get any better than that.”
Carter, a former fifth overall pick out of North Carolina in 1998, wound up playing an NBA-record 22 seasons with Toronto, New Jersey, Orlando, Phoenix, Dallas, Memphis, Sacramento and Atlanta. He currently serves as an NBA analyst for TNT and hosts his own podcast, “The VC Show.”
The 47-year-old was voted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2024 in April. His jersey will be hung in the rafters next to Jason Kidd’s, a fellow Hall of Famer who he shared a backcourt with for four seasons in New Jersey.
In five seasons with the Nets, Carter had the best statistical stretch of his career, averaging 23.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 44.7% from the field and 37% from 3-point range.
Carter helped New Jersey to three playoff berths, including a pair of runs to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2006 and 2007. He ranks third in Nets history in total points (8,834) and holds the two highest-scoring seasons in franchise history.
The 6-6 guard was an eight-time All-Star and was named to an All-NBA team twice. He won NBA Rookie of the Year in 1999 and retired with 25,728 career points, which ranks 21st all-time in league history. He is also the only player who played in the NBA in four different decades.