Muggsy Bogues spent the last two of his illustrious 14-year career with the Toronto Raptors, which meant he witnessed firsthand the high-flying act known as Vince Carter . On a recent episode of the “Come And Talk 2 Me,” the diminutive but highly-skilled court general spoke about the pleasure of seeing Vince do his thing in the “Great White North” and how his play there inspired many Canadian players to pursue their hoop dreams.
Gave his all for the Raptors
Before Carter arrived in Toronto, the Raptors were an expansion squad that struggled to get wins despite the best efforts of 1996 Rookie of the Year Damon Stoudamire. Though Vince’s arrival in 1998 did little to raise their dubs total (they went 23-27 in that lockout-shortened season), his nightly aerial displays sparked a renewed interest in the team and gave fans something to cheer for.
“Seeing a guy that young with so much talent and so much upside, and to be able to witness it on a daily basis, it was special. He didn’t shortcut the game at all. That’s one thing Vince never did—he never shortcut the game,” Muggsy said of VC. “I think he doesn’t get as much credit as he should, but he was just such a nice guy. He cared about his teammates, cared about his team, wanted to win, and wanted to do it the right way.”
With a bona fide star nicknamed “Half-Man, Half-Amazing” on their squad, the Raptors had three straight postseason appearances highlighted by a trip to the 2001 Eastern Conference Semis, where they faced off against Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers. It was a memorable series marked by the showdown between “Vinsanity” and “The Answer.” However, Iverson and the Sixers prevailed in Game 7 after Carter missed the potential game-winning jumper from the corner.
Instead of celebrating the Raptors’ ascendance in the East, Vince took a lot of heat after that loss, especially since he took a trip to Chapel Hill on the morning of Game 7 to attend his graduation from UNC. However, Bogues believes VC did the right thing.
“He took a lot of slack for going to Chapel Hill to get his degree and then coming back and playing in that game. He took a lot of heat for that, but I was just so proud of him for accomplishing that goal, still having the mindset, and still being in the game with a shot to possibly win that series,” Muggsy shared.
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VC’s impact on Canadian basketball
The 5-foot-3 point guard also discussed how crucial Vince’s stint in The Great White North was for the growth of basketball in Canada. Not only did Vince bring attention to Toronto, but he also inspired a generation of basketball players. Today, Canadian hoops is considered a powerhouse in international basketball, with players like MVP contender Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, RJ Barrett, and Jamal Murray representing the country.
“You can’t say enough about what Vince has done for the city—not only the city of Toronto but for the entire country of Canada. Now, you have a lot of Canadian basketball players in the NBA, and it’s all due to Vince,” Muggsy asserted.
Carter will finally receive his due on October 12 and 13 when he gets inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Related: Vince Carter on being informed about Hall of Fame induction on April Fools Day: "It took everything for me not to say 'Are you sure?'"
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