Any list of the best dunkers of all time without Vince Carter is a joke. He was among the best, if not the best, to ever dunk a basketball, whether in a game or a contest. The truth is that Carter has had no dunking peer ever since he was in high school. Grant Hill , a seven-time NBA All-Star, knows it all too well.
According to the former Duke Blue Devil, he saw a young VC shut a whole arena down in a dunk contest against future NBA stars Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury.
Hill said , per Jason Buckland: "I played in Detroit, and in '95 they had a Magic Johnson All-Star Game at the Palace [of Auburn Hills]. I was a judge, and [Kevin] Garnett and Stephon Marbury and Vince Carter and all those guys were there -- it was their class. And Vince Carter went out and did one dunk and then everybody quit. So he won the slam dunk contest in '95 just off of default."
As far as the 1994 third-overall pick could recall, the Mainland High School star pulled off a windmill dunk. But it wasn't about the variant; it was about the execution. Vince went up so high and dumped the ball to the basket so hard that Hill felt he couldn't compete with what Carter got. To put this in perspective, Grant was already an NBA All-Star; Vince was only in high school and wouldn't join the Association until three years later.
Not just a dunker
As generational a dunker as Vince Carter was, he was way more than a highflyer. His offensive repertoire included a smooth jump shot, an effective post-game, and the ability to score from almost anywhere on the floor. At some point, he was one of the best off-balanced jump shooters of his time.
Beyond his scoring, Carter's court vision allowed him to facilitate offense when needed, averaging a career-high 5.1 dimes in the 2007-08 season and consistently hovering around four assists per game during his prime. With his all-around offensive game and longevity, his place in the Hall of Fame, via the class of 2024, is more than well-deserved.
Related: Julius Erving believes no player is similar to him in the modern NBA: “I was a small forward, but I really played like a power forward”
Could he be the GOAT?
Vinsanity was one of the most recognizable superstars in his prime, but he could have been in the GOAT conversation if he put his mind to it. That's according to former Washington Wizard All-Star Gilbert Arenas.
"He should've been the next one. He had everything; he had the one-of-one Bugatti. You are looking at him and 'Oh my god, this is what's coming?' Jumping ability, hands, arms, hang-time, charisma, style," Arenas said . "You've never seen anything like it, but he was a nice guy. So I call him lazy, which is my way of saying he's too nice. He cared."
In short, if VC only had the mentality of a Kobe or MJ, along with his natural gifts, he'd have himself a seat at the GOAT table. Of course, that was one man's opinion. Carter lasted 22 seasons in the NBA, the most by anyone not named LeBron James. Championships or not, he was apparently doing something right.
Related: "You went from an All-Star to a Hall of Famer" - Vince Carter gets emotional talking about his induction into the Hall of Fame
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