Vince Carter, at the age of 41, still isn’t ready to put the game of basketball behind him and plans on playing at least one more season in the NBA.
In an article for The Undefeated, Carter told Marc J. Spears, he “feels great” and “I plan on coming back next season.”
“I plan on coming back next season. I plan on coming back one more season. I’m almost 90 percent sure that’s it after next season. … You kind of go through the season, especially when the end is near, and you say, ‘Hey, how do I feel?’ The summertime kind of dictates it all. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the most important time for the older guys in the league like myself and [Dallas Mavericks star] Dirk [Nowitzki] and I think all the other guys, I could say [San Antonio Spurs forward] Pau [Gasol], they could say that preparing for the season in the summer is probably the hardest thing to do when you’re approaching the last years. I always said I’ll walk away from the game when I’m not willing to put the work in to be prepared for the season. I wouldn’t disrespect the game like that.”
Carter was the No. 5 overall pick way back in 1998, selected out of North Carolina by the Golden State Warriors. He’s absolutely lived up to his draft slot throughout his legendary career, which has fully spanned two decades now.
This year, playing for the Sacramento Kings, Carter has appeared in 57 games, started in five and averaged 5.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists. He still has the hops that made him one of the most iconic dunkers in NBA history and clearly has a passion for the game that has not been diminished over the years.
Carter isn’t sure if he’ll return to Sacramento or sign with another team in free agency. But he does know that he wants to continue playing, and no doubt he’ll have a chance to continue doing that.