Vince Carter wants fans to ‘understand the full story’ of his departure

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Hours before his jersey retirement ceremony, an emotional Vince Carter met with the media Saturday at Scotiabank Arena.

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Carter was moved to tears several times during the 35-minute question-and-answer session, which included family members such as his mother and three children sitting in the front.

Carter’s No. 15 will be the first jersey the Raptors retire later Saturday at halftime of their game against the Sacramento Kings.

Carter knows his ugly exit in 2004 still angers some fans, but said: “I understand that maybe that’s where the disappointment comes from, because the guy we’re starting to like is now gone. But I’ve always said, especially to close friends, that you may have disappointments, but understand the whole story before expressing your anger, especially if you don’t really know what’s really going on (behind the scenes of the franchise that was falling apart). due to poor management),” Carter said.

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“I was the guy who wanted to fly around arenas and throw himself at people, so people fell in love, so I understand why people were sad and had their feelings,” Carter said as dozens of fans looked through the glass at the arena near Legend’s Row to watch his press conference. “I think that’s where the love came from and that’s where the disappointment came from (when I) moved on.

“I think about all these emotions and feelings now, knowing now, honoring the whole experience again, not just six years, 22 years back and forth. “Hehe, haha, VK sucks” in response to congratulations. It’s all in one,” Carter said.

Carter recalled his early days in Toronto, from what he considered a botched pre-draft workout that really stunned Glen Grunwald, Butch Carter and the rest of then-Toronto executives, to the beginnings of him being the No. 15 pick out of high school in Florida. He chose the Game 5 win over the New York Knicks to advance to the second round of the playoffs as his crowning achievement as a Raptor and detailed how he has always maintained ties to the city of Toronto, including his new assignment to work on the Raptor. some Sportsnet Raptors broadcast with close friend Alvin Williams and Matt Devlin as well as Canada and how proud he is of his influence in inspiring so many people to play basketball in this country.

Carter said that moment “means everything. And the legacy continues to grow. And again I think this is the icing on the cake. This is the bow that will come full circle… I feel like my emotions speak louder than words. It tells a story. And you know, it’s just an appreciation for where we’ve been, where we’ve gotten to and where we are now, and now you end it with a bow, you know what I’m talking about. So there’s no need to say anything more if you can’t really understand it, I mean, walk around with deaf ears and blind eyes.”

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