As hard as it may be to believe, there was a moment before the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest when Vince Carter doubted his ability to win it all. Although he was the prohibitive favorite to take home the trophy due to the jaw-dropping feats of aerial artistry, he consistently displayed on Sportscenter. Florida native felt like the dunks he planned to do weren't going to impress the judges and the fans.
However, as he took in the crowd that gathered at The Arena in Oakland, which included his All-Star contemporaries, he suddenly felt a surge of excitement course through his veins. And the rest, as they say, was history.
VC was skeptical about the dunks
"Half Man, Half Amazing" was only in his second year in the league when he joined the Slam Dunk Contest. After a superb rookie campaign that saw him fill up countless highlight reels with his high-flying antics, expectations were sky-high for Carter . But he knew he couldn't rely on his natural talent and athleticism if he wanted to wow the crowd. He had to plan and practice his repertoire.
However, as he stepped onto the floor and took in the crowd's energy, he felt a sense of doubt creep in. This was, by far, the biggest stage he had ever performed on, and everyone had high expectations for him.
"I remember walking out on the court, got the ball, nervous, hands a little sweaty. I had just had surgery on my middle finger, so if you go back, you see my finger is taped up. I see all the guys I either played college ball with or against or in the pros and the excitement on these professional superstars' face for what I was going to do," Carter said during the Hall of Fame enshrinement weekend.
"I looked in the stands, and I was on another level as far as excitement and hype for the moment. I felt the routine I had the night before wasn't going to win. And, I took a chance," the former Tar Heel shared.
Taking chances meant taking risks. And taking risks meant there was a chance something could go wrong. But Carter was determined to leave everything he had on the floor and give the audience a performance they would never forget.
"We're here talking about the good because there could have been a lot of bad. I just wanted to show the world my athleticism. I put some things together had some safe landings," VC added.
Tried a dunk he couldn't perfect in practice
With the crowd's energy giving him exuberance and confidence, Vince kicked things off by trying a dunk he had never cleanly completed: a reverse 360 windmill. He nailed the dunk, brought the crowd to its feet, and continued to amaze with each subsequent attempt.
"I tried that, worked on it so many times, and could barely make that dunk in practice," Carter revealed. "But my adrenaline was so, so high to where I said, 'You know what? I think I can pull it off.' That's just what it was."
With his confidence on a different level, "Vinsanity" took over the contest. He completed the iconic elbow hang dunk and a between-the-legs one in which his cousin, Tracy McGrady, bounced the ball on the floor for him. With each awe-inspiring dunk, Vince solidified his place in the event's history, and his performance will forever be remembered as one of the greatest and most electrifying moments in the history of the NBA.
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