Vince Carter

atlnbell

NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 2020 – NBA players have selected Vince Carter as the recipient of the 2019-20 NBA Sportsmanship Award, the NBA announced today. 

Carter, who spent the 2019-20 season with the Atlanta Hawks, announced his retirement from the NBA in June after playing a league-record 22 seasons.  He receives the Joe Dumars Trophy as the winner of the NBA Sportsmanship Award.  Dumars, a two-time NBA champion and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, played 14 NBA seasons and won the inaugural Sportsmanship Award in the 1995-96 season.

Each NBA team nominated one of its players for the NBA Sportsmanship Award, which is designed to honor a player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court.  From the list of 30 team nominees, a panel of league executives selected one finalist from each of the NBA’s six divisions.  Current NBA players selected the winner from the list of six finalists, with more than 250 players submitting their votes through confidential balloting conducted by the league office. 

In addition to Carter (Southeast Division), the other finalists were Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (Northwest), Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (Pacific), Detroit Pistons guard Langston Galloway (Central), Memphis Grizzlies guard Tyus Jones (Southwest) and Brooklyn Nets guard Garrett Temple (Atlantic).  

Carter received 143 of 266 first-place votes and 2,520 total points in balloting of NBA players.  Temple (1,746 points) and Adams (1,632 points) finished in second and third place, respectively.  The six finalists were awarded 11 points for each first-place vote, nine points for each second-place vote, seven points for each third-place vote, five points for each fourth-place vote, three points for each fifth-place vote and one point for each sixth-place vote.   

During his 22-year career, Carter earned eight NBA All-Star selections, was named to the All-NBA Team twice and won the 1998-99 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Award.  He also received the 2015-16 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, which honors selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team.

Carter, 43, has played the third-most games in NBA history (1,541) and is the only player to appear in a game in four different decades.  He ranks 19th on the NBA’s all-time points list (25,728) and sixth in three-pointers made (2,290).

vince-carter-wins-2019-2020-nba-sportsmanship-award

Vince Carter Wins 2019-2020 NBA Sportsmanship Award

“Over the last two years, Vince Carter has been a committed leader, respected mentor and influential example on the court, in the locker room and in the Atlanta community. Throughout his historic 22-year journey covering an unprecedented four different decades, his evolving career arc was perhaps like none other in league history – from Top 5 Draft Pick to Rookie of the Year to Slam Dunk Champion to superstar and eight-time All-Star to Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year and valuable role player. It’s an honor to the Hawks organization that he completed his Hall-of-Fame career wearing Atlanta across his chest and representing our city.”

atlanta-hawks-statement-on-retirement-of-vince-carter

ATLANTA HAWKS STATEMENT ON RETIREMENT OF VINCE CARTER

atlcachubb

hawks-drop-contest-to-raptors-in-toronto

Hawks Drop Contest to Raptors in Toronto

ATLANTA - Trae Young gave his mom an extra-long hug after his pregame shooting session. Lloyd Pierce remembered his late cousin. Vince Carter wiped away tears during the National Anthem.

Sunday was a difficult day to play a basketball game as NBA players and coaches, like millions around the world, mourned the loss of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi following a helicopter crash in California. 

Vince Carter, who met 15-year-old Kobe when they were AAU teammates, took note of the reactions of his teammates, many of whom were too young to remember the first half of Kobe's career.

"Obviously, he is a hero of a lot of them," Carter said. "To see the blank stares on their faces brought a somber mood to the locker room. Very little was talked about – game-planning or basketball – because it was bigger than basketball."

In his pregame press conference, head coach Lloyd Pierce paid homage to the professional and personal sides of Kobe.

"I grew up on the West Coast. I was a Laker fan as a child. I had to denounce being a Laker fan once you get into the profession. But I've always respected his greatness, because of his detail and his passion and the intensity with which he plays. But there's nothing more than the respect I have for him as a father. Every image you see of him post-retirement is with his daughters, with his family. Everything you see online, on Twitter is about positivity. He is encouraging others. And I think it has been the biggest transformation of a competitor to a human being that I've ever seen."

The passing of an NBA legend hit a lot of people in a lot of deeply personal ways, Pierce included. “Forgive me for being emotional,” he said before sharing a story about the loss of his cousin, a Navy pilot stationed in San Diego, in a helicopter crash in 1998, Pierce's senior year of college.

“I still have a hard time looking at helicopters. There are just certain things you don’t get over. Today is that day.”

It was a somber day for so many in the building.

Collins met Kobe personally this summer for the first time at a special summer training session for select NBA players. He said it was an inspiration that he will never forget.

“I almost didn’t want to play today," John Collins said. "I’ve got a Fathead of him on my wall, I’ve got jerseys of his, pictures, I could go on for days. We look at him as our generation’s (Michael) Jordan, at least for me. I'm praying for his family, his loved ones and everything surrounding the situation.”

Bruno Fernando, who lost his mother this month and who wears jersey #24, started at center. He set career highs in both points (14) and rebounds (12), and he notched his first career double-double.

Owners Tony Ressler and Jami Gertz started their family in Los Angeles before they purchased the Hawks.

The one person in the arena with perhaps the biggest burden to shoulder was Trae Young. Trae idolized Kobe, but Gigi idolized Trae. Two of the small handful of games that the Bryants attended this season were Hawks games. Gigi wanted to see Trae play. Trae met with them after both games.

"His daughter was a big fan of mine, and he was always trying to figure out new ways to help his kids learn," Trae said. "He found out that I worked with my trainer, Alex Bazzell, so he got in contact with him. Gigi started working out with Alex Bazzell. That's how me and Kobe got introduced – it was through my trainer."

At the start of the game, Trae took off his warmups to reveal jersey #8. The Hawks and Wizards took intentional 8-second and 24-second violations at the start of game to pay tribute to the two jersey numbers that Kobe wore over the duration of his NBA career. The Hawks called timeout, and Trae switched back into his usual jersey #11.

In a fitting tribute to Kobe, a player who saved his best shows for the biggest stages, Trae played an electric game. He scored 45 points. He handed out 14 assists to his teammates, many of which either started as no-look passes or ended as thunderous alley-oops.

If there was any doubt that something special was happening, Trae stole a full-court pass with two seconds left in the first half, calmly stepped in the direction of the basket and dropped in a heave from beyond half court. Trae tapped his chest and pointed to the sky.

Carter, the Hawk who knew Kobe best and certainly the one who knew Kobe the longest, took solace in what he saw from Kobe on the sidelines of games in recent years and what he heard when he spoke with him.

"It wasn't the Mamba competing against whoever. It was Dad teaching his daughter the ins and outs of the game, and how he sees it, and how she can learn to break the game down. That's what I saw and I think that is what a lot of people could see and I think that's what catches the basketball world off guard more than anything because we all saw it."

"For those of us who played against him and knew him, that was what was gut-wrenching more than anything because of his happiness, because of that conversation I had with him. He was telling me, 'I'm at peace. I'm happy. I'm at my happiest.' All these championships that he won, MVPs, 81 (points) – he was at his happiest in retirement."

Rest in peace, Kobe, and be at your happiest.

hawks-players-coaches-ownership-mourn-passing-of-kobe-bryant

Hawks Players, Coaches, Ownership Mourn Passing Of Kobe Bryant

ATLANTA –- Yesterday, the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm gathered 5,000 volunteers at State Farm Arena to pack over one million meals in the largest community initiative in the franchise’s 51-year history. Hawks Principal Owners Tony Ressler and Jami Gertz, State Farm Senior Vice President Dan Krause, Hawks CEO Steve Koonin, and NBA Hall of Famer and Hawks Legend Dominique Wilkins were joined by Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) to welcome and thank participants earlier in the day for donating their time in support of the Million Meal Pack. Hawks players, Vince Carter, Trae Young, John Collins, and De’Andre Hunter, along with Head Coach Lloyd Pierce closed out the final meal packing shift alongside volunteers reaching a final count of 1,020,672 meals.

The six 90-minute shifts of the event yielded:

“Our collaboration with State Farm is just beginning,” said Koonin. “From the incredible reach of this Million Meal Pack to the Hawks Court Renovations and State Farm Good Neighbor Clubs that we are creating at local recreation centers, we will continue to build even greater opportunities to bring together Atlantans to make a positive change in our community.”

The many individuals, families, community groups, schools, churches, and businesses that gathered on the floor of State Farm Arena were also working beside Hawks President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Travis Schlenk, Atlanta Hawks Alums including Kevin Willis, Jon Koncak, Cal Bowdler, Roshown McLeod, and Tony Delk, as well as Braves Alums Brian Jordan, Dwight Smith, and Marquis Grissom, State Farm agents and employees, Hawks staff, and several local government officials also lent a hand to the effort.

“Atlanta is a special community and today shows why,” said Krause. “Thousands of our neighbors came here on a Saturday, not for a game or to be entertained, but to help us address the issue of food insecurity in and around Atlanta.  Through this partnership with the Atlanta Hawks, our local agents and employees are thankful to serve a city who shares our commitment to strengthen communities.”

Every meal packed will be distributed by six local organizations serving various constituencies throughout metro Atlanta: Atlanta Community Food Bank, Second Helpings Atlanta, Fountain of Hope, Goodr, Lost-n-Found Youth, and Veterans Empowerment Organization of Georgia.

Non-profit Feeding Children Everywhere served as the logistics lead of the meal pack event. The organization, which is dedicated to creating a hunger-free world, provided statistics that show one in four children in Atlanta are facing hunger, while the number of high poverty neighborhoods in metro Atlanta has tripled since 2000, as the population has grown.

A little over a year ago, the Hawks and State Farm announced their official partnership, as the insurance market leader became the new naming rights partner of the NBA team’s home venue.  Since the inception of the relationship, the two brands have been focused on creating small acts that collectively have massive impact, as part of the State Farm Neighborhood of Good®.

Visit neighborhoodofgood.com and hawks.com/community to learn more about the work that State Farm and the Hawks are doing in the community.

the-atlanta-hawks-and-state-farm-rally-5000-volunteers-to-surpass-the-one-million-meal-mark-to-fight-hunger

The Atlanta Hawks and State Farm® Rally 5,000 Volunteers to Surpass the One Million Meal Mark to Fight Hunger

million-meal-pack-atlanta-hawks-state-farm-pack-one-million-meals-for-atlanta-community

Million Meal Pack: Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Pack One Million Meals for Atlanta Community

ATLANTA – Atlanta Hawks swingman and 20-year NBA veteran Vince Carter will make his Hawks broadcasting debut tonight, April 3, when he joins Bob Rathbun and Dominique Wilkins on FOX Sports Southeast and FOX Sports GO to call Atlanta’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. Coverage will begin at 7 p.m. ET with Hawks LIVE; channel listings can be found here.

Carter, in his 21st professional season, has previously provided in-season television broadcast analysis during stints with the Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings. In past offseasons, Carter has called games at NBA Summer League, and most recently, he delivered color commentary at last summer’s inaugural Jr. NBA World Championship.

The No. 5 overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, Carter will accompany Rathbun, in his 23rd season as the Hawks’ television play-by-play voice, and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member Wilkins, in his 10th season as Atlanta’s game analyst, on the broadcast.

Among active players, Carter currently ranks in the top five in games played (2nd), minutes played (3rd), three-pointers made (3rd), field goals made (3rd) and points (4th). Carter became the 22nd player in NBA history to score 25,000 career points when he posted 14 points on Nov. 21 vs. Toronto. He leads the Hawks in three-point shooting this season, posting a .399 mark from long distance (23rd in the NBA).

Carter will miss tonight’s contest due to load management after compiling eight points, five assists and two rebounds across 28 minutes in a start last night in San Antonio. In 73 games (nine starts) this season, Carter is averaging 7.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 17.3 minutes.

vince-carter-to-join-fox-sports-southeasts-broadcast-team-for-hawks-vs-76ers

Vince Carter To Join Fox Sports Southeast's Broadcast Team For Hawks vs. 76ers

atlabowers

ATLANTA, GA -- The Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club has signed guard/forward Vince Carter, it was announced today.

Carter played in 58 games (four starts) last season with Sacramento, where he averaged 5.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 17.7 minutes (.403 FG%, .345 3FG%, .757 FT%).

In 20 NBA seasons with Toronto, New Jersey, Orlando, Phoenix, Dallas, Memphis and Sacramento, Carter possesses career averages of 17.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 31.4 minutes (.437 FG%, .373 3FG%, .799 FT%), appearing in 1405 regular season games (973 starts). In 88 playoff contests (66 starts), he’s averaged 18.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 34.5 minutes (.416 FG%, .338 3FG%, .796 FT%).

Carter was the 1999 NBA Rookie of the Year, has been named All-NBA twice (second team in 2001 and third team in 2000), is an eight-time All-Star and finished in the Top 10 in scoring six times. He won the NBA’s Slam Dunk contest in 2000, also taking home a gold medal that same year as part of the United States Men’s Basketball team in Sydney, Australia.

Originally the fifth overall selection in the 1998 NBA Draft by Golden State, Carter ranks third among active players in games played, fourth in scoring (24,868) and minutes (44,161), fifth in three-pointers made (2,106), sixth in steals (1,463), 14th in assists (4,579) and 15th in rebounds (6,288). He ranks eighth in NBA history in three-pointers made and 22nd in scoring. He is one of seven players in NBA history to complete 20 seasons, and this season will become one of five to play in 21 seasons (joining Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki – also entering his 21st, Robert Parish and former Hawk Kevin Willis).

Carter played three collegiate seasons at North Carolina, where he helped lead the Tar Heels to back-to-back final four appearances (1997, 1998), and was a consensus Second-Team All-American as a junior after posting 15.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals in 38 games (.591 FG%, .411 3FG%, .680 FT%).

Born in Daytona Beach, FL, Carter attended Mainland High School, where he was a 1995 McDonald’s All-American. He will wear No. 15.