Lots of you 25+ year-old New Orleans Pelicans fans will remember when Vince Carter rose to NBA prominence at the beginning of this millennium. Yes, he has been around the block a few times. He represented hope for not just a franchise, but an entire country when he was a member of the Toronto Raptors. A transcendent figure in Canada’s basketball lore, his high-flying antics and overall otherworldly highlights made a generation fall in love with the game.
When his athleticism began to deteriorate; and when he no longer flooded ESPN’s highlight room with dunks the game has never really seen before, he re-invented himself for longevity.