The Raptors retire Vince Carter's No. 15 on an emotional night

TORONTO – An emotional Vince Carter acknowledged his controversial departure from Toronto as his No. 15 jersey became the first number retired by the Raptors in a halftime ceremony during Saturday night's game against Sacramento.

“It’s not just about Carter 15, it’s about all of us,” Carter told fans before a banner with his name and number was raised to the rafters. “Tonight brings back memories, whichever way you look at it. I hope and pray that together we enjoy retiring our jersey forever.”

Carter walked to center court to begin the ceremony, gesturing with his hands to solicit cheers from the crowd. He then clenched his fists and yelled “Come on!” before greeting the answer.

Former Toronto teammates Tracy McGrady, Antonio Davis, Kevin Willis, Charles Oakley, Morris Peterson, Dee Brown, Jerome Williams, Alvin Williams and Muggsy Bogues joined Carter, his family and Raptors president Masai Ujiri for the on-court ceremony.

“He taught us how to fly,” Ujiri said as he introduced Carter to the cheering crowd.

During a pregame press conference, Carter had to pause several times to control his emotions or dab away tears. At one point, while talking about his family, Carter tearfully waved his young son Vincent Jr. over to hug him at the podium.

The only player in NBA history to play for four decades, Carter spent the first six or more of his record 22 seasons with the Raptors. He was the 1999 Rookie of the Year in his first season and an All-Star and Slam Dunk Champion in his second, when Toronto made the playoffs for the first time.

After being swept out of the first round by the Knicks in his first postseason, Carter and the Raptors returned to the playoffs the following spring and upset New York by winning Game 5 at Madison Square Garden.

Before Saturday's game, Carter recalled that series win as one of the best memories of his time in Toronto.

“After going through what (former Knicks coach) Mr. Jeff Van Gundy did to me with his defense, I was excited to get the opportunity to go against that defense again,” Carter said.

Carter is credited with shaping basketball across Canada and influencing a generation of future NBA players such as Tristan Thompson, former Raptors guard Cory Joseph and current Toronto forward Kelly Olynyk.

“The legacy is still growing,” Carter said. “This is the icing on the cake.”

Thompson was one of several players, including Stephen Curry and former Raptors Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, who recorded a congratulatory message for Carter in a video played on the court before the ceremony.

“I wouldn’t be here without you,” Thompson said.

Early in his tenure in Toronto, Carter earned the nickname “Air Canada” for his high-flying dunks. As injuries mounted and his performance declined, Carter was criticized by fans for becoming less aggressive as he settled for jumping instead of driving and making contact.

In December 2004, Carter was traded to the Nets in exchange for Alonzo Mourning, Eric Williams, Aaron Williams and two first-round draft picks. Mourning never played for Toronto.

For years, there was anger and hostility among Raptors fans toward Carter after he pushed to be traded from Toronto.

A decade after that deal, the relationship began to improve when Carter visited Toronto with the Memphis Grizzlies on November 19, 2014. The Raptors, celebrating their 20th anniversary this season, honored Carter with a tribute video timeout in the first quarter.

At the halftime ceremony, Carter called it “a day I will never forget.”

Although some fans had booed at the start of Monday's montage that night, most of the sellout crowd of 19,800 soon stood and cheered. An emotional Carter raised his arms, tapped his heart and wiped tears from his eyes.

During his pregame press conference, Carter was again overcome with emotion as he recalled watching the video nearly a decade ago.

“It's about seeing those highlights in this building because that's where it was created,” he said.

Carter retired in 2020 at the age of 43. Last month he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Earlier Saturday, a mural of Carter was unveiled in downtown Toronto. In September, the Raptors unveiled a revitalized Vince Carter Court in a Toronto park.