This story first appeared in SLAM 224.
Twenty-five years ago Shaq released his second rap album, Patrick Ewing was releasing his own shoes, ’Rap Jam Volume One’ cartridges were being crammed into Super Nintendos around the world, and a young “Vincent Carter” got his first mention in SLAM No. 3. Vince got some more love from SLAM 6 and 7, and by Issue 26 he was featured in one of the dopest concept articles of all time. It included a Compact-Disc/Dolby Digital style theme (you kids wouldn’t understand). By the time he hit the cover as a rookie on SLAM 35 in ’99, we were talking mainly about one thing: his dunks. I waited for the VHS cassette tapes to arrive in the mail; Vince waited for the SportsCenter highlights in the backseat of his limo. I’d hit rewind on grainy footage of baseline reverse double clutch two-handers over the Pacers, while questioning if I’d just seen what I thought I just saw. In 2000, his participation in the previously anticlimactic Dunk Contest meant that Shaq purchased new tapes for his camcorder, and Vince’s name became so synonymous with dunks that in the ensuing SLAM issue, SLAMADAMONTH temporarily changed its name to VINCEADAMONTH.
SLAM is here to stay, but VC’s career must end. As he enters his final season, I’m praying that his knees have some juice, just enough, so that he can throw down one more off-the-glass, full extension reverse 360 windmill, elbow in the rim one last time. Preferably on (or over) Dikembe Mutombo…or Frédéric Weis. If that’s too much to ask, I’ll settle for a simple tomahawk. And I’ll have my 4K Smartphone ready.
