A HALL OF FAME WEEKEND FIT FOR A CARTER
The Mohegan Sun Resort (Uncasville, CT) welcomed guests including hall of famers, past and present, to kick off a weekend that was absolutely magical. The day prior to the official enshrinement was filled with interviews, memorabilia signings, many photoshoots, and fellowship. The main event for that night was the “Tip-Off Celebration & Awards Gala” where the 13 honorees were presented their Hall of Fame jackets and rings. Selected family members of each of the 2024 class assisted with the presentation and the donning of the jacket. Vince’s children, Kai, Vincent, Jr. and Vayle, assisted him in this ceremony. When asked if they were proud of their dad, each member of the Carter clan gave a resounding-YES! In addition, several media awards were conferred.
Sunday, October 13, 2024, was the big day! The weather was cool and rainy but that did not damper anyone’s spirits. By this time, hundreds of fans found their way to the Marriott Hotel in Springfield, Massachusetts and the Hall of Fame Museum. As guests made their way into Symphony Hall; there were lots of hugs, laughs, and tears. The Hall of Fame class, along with other celebrities, made their way on the red carpet as they stopped for photos and short interviews.
As Vince entered Symphony Hall, he was immediately greeted by the traveling party from Daytona Beach, Florida where he went to high school. His high school basketball coach, Charles Brinkerhoff, his seventh grade Language Arts teacher and co-worker, Ann Smith, and high school basketball teammates and friends, Joe Giddens, Desmond Long, Karl Powell, Rod Walden, and John Ellis were on hand to greet to show their support.
Vince Carter headlined the 13-member class. As Vince took the stage, he took a deep breath and said, “I’ve got something to say.” He thanked many of the important people in his life-from cousin, Tracy McGrady and hero, Julius Erving who were his presenters into “the Hall” to Shaquille O’Neal and his mom, Michelle Carter.
Vince continued by saying, “I hold this honor in high regard. I’ve finally been able to handle the fact that you (the voters) have given me an honor not many players get to experience. I’m now walking through the doors of which the icons of the game walked through, and it’s because of you guys I get that opportunity.”
There were many shout outs during Vince’s 28-minute speech. He acknowledged each stop of his career. He began with Mainland High School (Daytona Beach, FL)-Coaches Dick Toth, Charles Brinkerhoff, Derrick Henry; teammates-Joe Giddens, Desmond Long, T.T Toliver, Donnie Gray and the rest of the 1995 state championship team. Vince said that it was a dream come true to finally play with the Orlando Magic-the hometown team (50 miles from where he grew up) and it was a lot of fun. Vince Carter thanked each of the seven other franchises, including players, in which he played in his storied 22-year record holding career.
The last team mentioned by Carter was the Toronto Raptors. The crowd erupted when he said, “without a doubt, I’m going into the Hall of Fame as a Raptor.” He expressed gratitude towards his golfing buddy, Kyle Lowry and the Raptor’s Superfan-Nav Bhatia.
Vince shared a little of his relationship with Kobe Bryant. That relationship began when both played high school AAU Basketball for a Philadelphia team. As Carter was nearing retirement, he sought advice from Kobe. He said he could not even say the words retire or retirement as it related to the culmination of his career. In a way that had the entire auditorium laughing, Vince told the audience of Kobe’s advice to him and his “what?!!” response. The two had made plans to discuss the subject further. Before that could happen, Kobe died in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020-Vince Carter’s 43rd birthday.
In closing Carter said to the audience, “In life, we go through obstacles that are filled with ups and downs, good and bad and everything in between. It seems like a gauntlet you’re going through, but we somehow figure it out-either on your own, from a coach, teammate, co-worker, boss or even through life experiences. We get to the finish line. He asked the audience to “take those experiences and give them to the next generation. Drop those gems. Because remember, it was done for us. We have to keep the cycle going.”
Then, Vince took a moment to look out over the crowd, which was giving him a standing ovation. He nodded his head as the tears filled his eyes. To the 2024 hall of fame class, Vince said, “from now on people will not just say your first name and your last name. They will add hall of famer.”
2024 Basketball Hall of Fame Class
Seimone Augustus Harley Redin
Dick Barnett Bo Ryan
Chauncey Billups Herb Simon
Vince Carter Charles Smith
Doug Colling Michele Timms
Michael Cooper Jerry West
Walter Davis
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