Vince Carter Gets Emotional When He Learns The Raptors Will Retire His No. 15

I really wish I was old enough to appreciate how good Vince Carter was in his prime. He may not have been the best scorer of all-time, but my goodness could this guy jump out of the building.

After winning Rookie of the Year honors with the Toronto Raptors in 1998, he won the Dunk Contest in 2000 (back when it was actually fun to watch), and his highlights from that contest were actually insane.

Oh, and who could forget the time when he - who stands at 6’6" - literally jumped over a 7’2" Frederick Weis in the 2000 Summer Olympics?

I mean my gosh, does the guy have pogo sticks for legs? How did he do this without PEDs? I wish I could have seen this happen live. It’s no wonder why this guy made eight All-Star teams.

However, he had an unceremonious split with the Raptors in 2004 when he requested a trade (he went to the New Jersey Nets). Many fans immediately disliked him, but Toronto as an organization apparently didn’t let those hard feelings linger forever.

Earlier today, at the Dixon Park that he helped found 21 years earlier, Raptors president Masai Ujiri informed Carter that his No. 15 would be retired in the rafters of Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, the first franchise player to receive that honor. Carter started shedding tears when he heard that announcement.

"I was extremely grateful when the Raptors informed me of their plans to retire my jersey in November in the arena that gave me my start in the NBA and was the home of so many special memories for me," Carter said after. "I look forward to sharing that moment with my family, friends and the Toronto fans who made my time with the Raptors so memorable."

It’s crazy to see just how much this honor meant to him. After what was an undoubtedly tense split, he still had love for the city that helped him get his start in pro basketball. He made sure to acknowledge the people that had any lingering disappointments in him.

"I know there’s people out there who have their mixed reviews of me, and that’s okay, that’s fine, and that's fair, and that's okay, but let’s enjoy the moment," Carter said. "We get an opportunity that a lot of other organizations get to do each and every day, and we take it for granted. Let's enjoy the moment, let's enjoy the ride."

Congrats, Vince, you definitely earned it.

The jersey will officially be hung sometime in November.