Vince Carter, once the most beloved superstar in the NBA for his high-flying acts, is not yet thinking of hanging up his jersey for good despite entering his 16th season and coming off one of the least productive years of his career.
The once athletic Carter is now a jump shooting, sixth-man for the Dallas Mavericks, where he averaged 13.4 points a game last year in just 26 minutes but has clarified that he is not planning to retire and end his legendary career. He will turn 37 in January 2014.
"I don't want to do that to myself," Carter told StarTelegram.com last October 3. "I don't want to limit myself. I think doing that you'll start thinking about [retirement] as the season goes on. I'll just let the body pretty much dictate how I'm feeling in the end."
Carter's second cousin, Tracy McGrady, retired in the offseason following a stint with the San Antonio Spurs. Carter and McGrady formed one of the most exciting backcourts in the NBA in the late '90s while playing for the Toronto Raptors.
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle acknowledged that while Carter is no longer the 20-point scorer that he once was especially during his time with the Toronto Raptors and New Jersey Nets, the small forward still provides veteran presence on the floor.
The Mavericks are looking to bounce back from a disappointing season last year wherein they failed to make the playoffs. Carter is projected to continue coming off the bench especially with newly-acquired Monta Ellis expected to start at off-guard. The Mavericks have also added guards Jose Calderon and Devin Harris to their line-up.
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