Vince Carter (Hakeem Olajuwon and Trae Young)
Vince Carter had one of the longest careers in the history of the league. Carter was around the NBA for 22 seasons and is the only player to play in four different decades.
He entered the league in 1999 and called it quits after the 2019-20 season. During his fourth season in the league, Vinsanity had the chance to play alongside Houston Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon.
12/18/10 – After a 12-13 start to 2010-11, the Phoenix #Suns traded leading-scorer Jason Richardson, albatross-contract Hedo Turkoglu, and bust 1st Rd pick Earl Clark to the Orlando Magic for Vince Carter, Mickael Pietrus, & former Suns 2nd Rd pick, Marcin Gortat. #ComingInHot pic.twitter.com/msR9hi88Gl
— Arizona Sports History (@AZSportsHistory) December 18, 2023
Olajuwon was a household name with the Rockets and everyone expected the two-way star to end his career in Houston. He was traded to the Toronto Raptors ahead of the 2001-02 season. The Dream played 61 games during the year and had the lowest averages in his career. That was the first season he played where he didn't average double-digits in scoring.
Carter, meanwhile, flourished and revolutionized the game in Canada. He had a few good seasons as an All-Star before bouncing around the league. He was traded to the Suns during the 2010-11 season from the Orlando Magic. He played 51 games as a role player and left in the offseason to join the Mavs.
Even as a seasoned veteran, Carter had the same love for the game and spent his last two seasons with the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks were developing Trae Young, the star player they traded for during draft night in 2018. When it seemed like the former North Carolina star wasn't considering retirement, the league was forced to shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
The longevity that Carter was admirable and couldn't be replicated by anyone, which gave him the chance to play with great players.