“He’ll jump up and do it himself”: Raptors fans second Austin Rivers’ thoughts on Raptors not retiring Vince Carter’s jersey

On Thursday, 11-year NBA veteran Austin Rivers called out the Toronto Raptors for not retiring former superstar wing Vince Carter’s No. 15 jersey. NBA on ESPN subsequently shared Rivers’ take on X, formerly Twitter, with many Raptors fans agreeing.

Carter played seven seasons for Toronto from 1998 to 2004, making six All-Star teams. He averaged 23.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks and 1.4 3-pointers per game on 44.6% shooting over 403 games. The Raptors made three playoff appearances over his seven seasons, winning one playoff series in the 2000-01 season.

However, the eight-time All-Star infamously requested a trade out of Toronto in 2004 and was later shipped to the then-New Jersey Nets in the middle of his prime. The move led Carter to be despised by most Raptors fans. However, over the years, many have changed their tune.

On Nov. 19, 2014, Toronto presented Carter with a video tribute as part of the organization’s 20th anniversary celebration. The video resulted in the then-Memphis Grizzlies veteran receiving an emotional standing ovation from Raptors fans. Additionally, fans have since cheered him on numerous other occasions.

However, despite Carter’s accomplishments in Toronto and fans’ developing appreciation for him, the debate surrounding his jersey retirement remains ongoing. According to Rivers, Carter is more than deserving of the honor due to his icon status in Toronto.

“The fact that Vince Carter doesn’t have a jersey retired there is beyond me,” Rivers commented on Instagram. “There’s only a documentary about him and the way he changed the way basketball was looked at in Toronto.”

Many fans concurred, saying that the former Slam Dunk Contest champion is overdue for his jersey retirement.

“Disrespectful if they don’t,” one fan said.

“If not, he’ll jump up and do it himself,” another said.

However, a few still weren’t too keen on the idea, citing Carter’s rocky history with the franchise.

“Bro, Toronto hated Vince for demanding a trade. Every time he played in the city afterward, he was booed. They ain’t retiring his jersey,” one fan said.

Here are a few more of the top fan reactions to the possibility of the Raptors retiring Carter’s No. 15 jersey:

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Vince Carter’s No. 15 jersey retirement would mark first jersey retirement in Raptors franchise history

The Orlando Magic are reportedly set to retire legendary big man Shaquille O’Neal’s No. 32 jersey next month. That leaves the Raptors as one of two NBA teams (LA Clippers) that haven’t retired any of their players’ numbers. Only Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell’s No. 6 is retired in Toronto as part of a league-wide jersey retirement.

So, while the Raptors may plan to eventually retire Vince Carter’s No. 15 jersey, it could come after Toronto’s other most iconic players receive the honor.

Stars Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan both led the Raptors to more extensive playoff success throughout the 2010s. Additionally, superstar forward Kawhi Leonard, along with Lowry, led Toronto to its first and only championship in 2019.

It remains to be seen which of the four gets their jersey number retired first. However, most would agree that all four have compelling cases for the honor.

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