When Michael Jordan retired for the second time in 1999, people foolishly asked who was going to be the next Jordan. That question, though, did spark debate. One of the men who was supposed to assume the mantle of the NBA's biggest name player was, in some ways, like MJ himself. Both Jordan and Vince Carter attended the University of North Carolina, and stand 6'6". Both ended their time with the Tar Heels after three seasons. Both men play both guard and forward, though their primary position is shooting guard. Unlike Jordan, though, Carter arrived at his first NBA playing stop following a trade. He had been the first round selection of the Golden State Warriors in the 1998 NBA Draft (5th overall), but a trade sent Carter to the Toronto Raptors. A strike delayed the beginning of the season until early 1999. Nevertheless, Carter made an immediate impact, winning Rookie Of The Year honors. Carter, like former rookie MVP Jordan, ignited a franchise mired in losing ways with an offensive game that included some of the most exciting slam dunks in the league.

His high draft status earned Carter a number of spots in card sets in his rookie campaign. One of these cards comes from the 1998-99 Topps base brand set. The border is light brown and looks like a lit basketball court. The Raptors logo is in the upper right corner of the front, while Carter's name appears in the lower right in silver foil print. In the bottom left hand corner of the photo, also in silver foil print, is the Topps logo with a rookie card designation on it. On the back is a head shot of Carter with basic information about him and his collegiate career. Carter, who has been an NBA All-Star in eight of his first nine seasons, has the highest valued card in the 1998-99 basic set. It is card #199 in that season's 220-card basic set. The value of this Carter rookie card, according to the August 2007 issue of Beckett Basketball magazine, is $6.

The shot shows Carter, who won the NBA Slam Dunk title in 2000, at his dunking best. He's in flight, arms above the rim, and about to complete a reverse slam. The card design has a basketball motif not only with its brown front border, but also the top right corner of the card is cut to resemble the arc seen at the top of the key. I like the head shot as well, as it resembles the kind of photo that might be included in a team's media guide. The text makes clear in its few brief sentences how Carter excited fans of the college game. The only downfall to this card is something Topps couldn't correct without airbrushing. As a longtime collector of Topps, I can tell you airbrushing has its drawbacks as well. The early Raptors jerseys were undignified for grown men to wear. The jersey, which depicts a dinosaur dribbling a basketball, might be cool for the players on a kindergarten basketball team, but out of step with the NBA. This, coupled with the original uniform of the Vancouver Grizzlies, might suggest to some that the NBA took basketball in Canada as a joke.

Carter, though, has been no joke to any opponent. After more that six seasons of playing home games in the Skydome and, later, the Air Canada Centre, Carter was traded to the New Jersey Nets in late 2004. There, he has continued to be among the league's leading scorers and dunkers. He has also become a part of a team which includes other playmakers, such as Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson. While the playoff appearances for the Raptors were few, the Nets have consistently appeared in the post-season during the 2000s. The days of Air Canada may be done, but the days of Vinsanity have kept the Nets one of the contenders in the NBA's Eastern Conference.


This is an entry in the 2007 Canadiana Write-Off hosted by elvisdo. Please click on the hyperlink for rules and more entries.

Thanks Charles.



Recommended: Yes