LOS ANGELES • Vince Carter announced his retirement from the National Basketball Association (NBA) on Thursday, bringing an end to a 22-year career - the longest of any player in league history.
The Atlanta Hawks guard, whose high-flying dunks made him one of the game's top players in his prime, said on the Winging It podcast: "I'm officially finished playing basketball."
He had previously said the 2019-20 NBA campaign would be his last but had not addressed his playing status since the league suspended its season in mid-March due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Carter, 43, was the No. 5 overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft and played his first six-plus seasons with the Toronto Raptors, winning the Rookie of the Year award in 1999 and the NBA Dunk Contest in 2000. He made eight consecutive All-Star teams from 2000-07.
The first NBA player to feature in four different decades, he signed a one-year deal with the Hawks last August. However, their season is over as they did not qualify for the NBA's 22-team format for restarting action late next month at Disney World amid the coronavirus.
Carter played 60 games this campaign, averaging 5.0 points in 14.6 minutes per game. He retires with career averages of 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.
He scored five points in his final career game, an overtime loss to the New York Knicks on March 11 - the day the season was suspended. He also played with the New Jersey Nets (2004-09), Orlando Magic (2009-10), Phoenix Suns (2010-11), Dallas Mavericks (2011-2014), Memphis Grizzlies (2014-17) and Sacramento Kings (2017-18).
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement: "Vince Carter has made an indelible impact on the NBA with his remarkable skill and enduring commitment.
"For a record 22 years, he played with pure joy and created so many memorable moments as an eight-time All-Star, a Slam Dunk champion and an Olympic gold medallist. We congratulate Vince on a storied career and thank him for being a true ambassador of the game."
Carter averaged more than 20 points per game in 10 seasons, with a career high of 27.6 in 2000-01.
His 22nd season has surpassed the 21 played by Robert Parish, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Willis and Dirk Nowitzki.
REUTERS
