SACRAMENTO, CA - The Sacramento Kings have signed guard-forward Vince Carter, it was announced today by General Manager Vlade Divac.
Carter enters his 20th professional season featured prominently in NBA annals; ranking 27th all-time in points scored (24,555), fifth in made three-pointers (2,049), 13th in games played (1,347), 22nd in total minutes (43,135) and 38th in free throws made (4,754).
Named to eight consecutive All-Star teams (2000-2007), the former Florida Mr. Basketball is one of just six players in league history to average at least 20 points, four rebounds and three assists per contest for 10 consecutive seasons (1999-00 – 2008-09), registering at least 24.0 points in seven of them. Coined “Half-Man, Half Amazing,” “Vinsanity” and “Air Canada” in tribute to an above-the-rim, gravity-mocking playing style and energetic persona, Carter’s popularity among fans of many allegiances garnered him distinction alongside Hall-of-Famers Michael Jordan and Julius Erving and future HOFers Kobe Bryant and LeBron James as the only players to finish first in All-Star voting on more than three occasions. An NBA All-Star Weekend stalwart, Carter has posted 10.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists in seven mid-season showcases, missing the 2001-02 installment due to injury.
Originally selected fifth overall in the 1998 NBA Draft by Golden State but traded soon after to the Raptors, Carter has accrued averages of 18.2 points (.438 FG%, .374 3pt%, .799 FT%), 4.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 32.0 minutes per game (969 starts) through 19 seasons with Toronto (1998-99 – 2004-05), New Jersey (2004-05 – 2008-09), Orlando (2009-10 – 2010-11), Phoenix (2010-11), Dallas (2011-12 – 2013-14) and Memphis (2014-15 – 2016-17). Ten seasons appearing in the postseason adds 88 contests to Carter’s prodigious NBA dossier, amassing 18.1 points (.416 FG%, .338 3pt%, .796 FT%), 5.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 34.5 minutes per game for the Raptors (15 games), Nets (27 games), Magic (14 games), Mavericks (11 games) and Grizzlies (21 games), owning an NBA playoff record for most three-pointers made in a half (8 on May 11, 2001 versus Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference Finals).
In addition to All-Rookie First Team Honors (1999), All-NBA Second and Third Team accolades (2001 and 2000, respectively) five Player of the Month and 11 Player of the Week nods, the league’s current eldest statesman holds a mantle featuring the 1998-99 Rookie of the Year Award, 2000 Slam Dunk Contest trophy and the 2016 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award bestowed by NBA players upon the “ideal teammate who exemplifies selfless play and dedication to his team.” Carter joins past winners Chauncey Billups (2013), Shane Battier (2014), Tim Duncan (2015) and Dirk Nowitzki (2017).
No stranger to international competition, Carter owns a pair of gold medals as a member of the United States Men’s National Team (2000 Olympic and 2003 FIBA Americas Championship). He led the Sydney Olympic squad in scoring with 14.8 points to accompany 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists en route to the title, netting 10 or more points in all eight contests.
Productive longevity continued for Carter last season in Memphis, setting new records for a player 40 and over, passing Michael Jordan as the oldest to score 20 points off the bench at 39 years and 287 days old against Denver on Nov. 8, only to trump the mark six days later with 20 points from the pine at Utah. He recorded four blocks on Feb. 6 versus San Antonio, joining HOFers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Robert Parish and Dikembe Mutombo as the only players in the 40-plus club to tally at least four swats in a game. Carter sank his 100th three-pointer of the campaign against Indiana on Mar. 29, becoming the third player in NBA history with triple-figure trifectas in his 19th season or later (Jason Kidd, 2012-13 & Kobe Bryant, 2015-16). Made 53 three pointers after his 40th birthday, passing the previous mark set by John Stockton (32). When the 2017-18 season tips off in October, he’ll be one of only four active players who began their career in the 1990s (Nowitzki, Metta World Peace and Jason Terry).
A consensus second-team All-American and Tar Heel standout, Carter led North Carolina to the NCAA Final Four in 1997 and 1998. As a junior, he paced the ACC and finished 18th nationally in field goal percentage (.591). The Daytona Beach native is also known for his philanthropic efforts, highlighted by the Embassy of Hope Foundation established to support causes for children.