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LeBron James congratulated Hall of Famer Vince Carter during his jersey retirement with the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar gave Carter a shoutout in a post on X.
Carter’s No. 15 uniform went up into the rafters at halftime of Toronto’s clash with the Sacramento Kings, making him the first player in franchise history to have his jersey retired.
A banner featuring Carter’s jersey number, along with an image of his famous between-the-legs dunk during the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest, was raised in Scotiabank Arena.
James praised Carter’s tenure with the organization and his impact on the city of Toronto after the Lakers defeated the Raptors by the score of 131-125 on Friday night.
“It makes all the sense in the world,” James said, via TSN’s Josh Lewenberg. “What he’s done for this franchise, the impact he had in his community, the way he changed how basketball is looked at in Canada itself, obviously Toronto. Well deserved.”
Carter averaged 23.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game as a member of the organization during his career. He ranks No. 4 on the team’s all-time scoring list and No. 8 on Toronto’s all-time assists leaderboard.
He earned Rookie of the Year honors following the 1998-99 season and made six All-Star teams with the Raptors.
Carter has been recognized for his accomplishments throughout the year, as he was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and will also have his jersey retired by the Brooklyn Nets during a Jan. 25 matchup with the Miami Heat.
As Carter’s legacy with the Raptors was honored on Saturday night, James applauded his former opponent.
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