The Vince Carter Effect: A statistical insight into Vinsanity that took NBA by storm

NBA legend Vince Carter announced his retirement from the league after 22 long seasons this week. Playing for the Atlanta Hawks this season, the 43-year-old's career came to an abrupt end due to the truncated NBA season with the raging pandemic standing in way of his send-off. Vince Carter played a crucial role in making basketball popular in Toronto and Canada, and 'The Carter Effect' eventually translated into their eventual first Championship in 2019. The Carter Effect, as it was termed, was one of the key moments in NBA history. Here's a look at the incredible Vince Carter NBA stats over his remarkable career. 

Also Read: Vince Carter Net Worth, Career Earnings And NBA Teams During 22-year Long Career

The Carter Effect: Vince Carter NBA stats

Vince Carter's arrival and instant popularity provided NBA some much-needed entertainment post the Michael Jordan and Chicago Bulls era. While the Carter Effect did not rise to the MVP levels of Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, and Allen Iverson, he certainly was one of the greatest dunkers of all-time and the Vince Carter NBA stats prove the same. During his stay in Toronto, Carter amassed over 8.5 million All-Star votes, over 1.4 million than anyone else. The gap between Vince Carter and second-placed Allen Iverson was far more than the gap between the second and sixth-placed. Carter became the third player in NBA history to lead all players in All-Star voting in three straight seasons, joining Michael Jordan and Julius Erving, while LeBron James could possibly match the feat this season. 

Also Read: NBA legend Vince Carter Officially Retires After Record 22 NBA Seasons

Vince Carter NBA career: Vinsanity's clutch numbers in comparison with Kobe Bryant's

While Vince Carter brought about a cultural and societal change in the NBA, in the same period, Kobe Bryant proved himself to be one of the best players of his generation. Kobe Bryant won three championships and featured in 17 playoff series while The Carter Effect was in full flow in Toronto, as the Raptors reached the playoffs three times and won a single playoff series. While no argument would suggest that Raptors star was better than the Lakers legend, stats prove that Carter was just as clutch as Kobe and was one of the most reliable players in the early 2000s. NBA fans will remember Carter missing at the buzzer in Game 7 of the 2001 Conference semi-finals against the 76ers, a shot that would have sent the Raptors to the Conference Finals, but his performance before the miss was why the Raptors were in the running in the first place. 

While Carter shot 6-18 in that game, he also dished out nine assists, five of which came in the fourth quarter including one to Dell Curry, who smashed a three in the final minute to cut the deficit to one to take it to the final buzzer. Vince Carter NBA stats, when taking into account the final five minutes and the score within five points, Carter had a record as good as Kobe Bryant, who many consider as one of the best closers in the game. In fact, Carter's FG percentage is slightly higher than that of Kobe's, with his 40.04 slightly bettering Kobe's 39.97. Of course, comparing Carter's heroics in February games isn't completely fair when Bryant was doing it deep into May and June. But unlike Kobe, Carter had no Shaquille O'Neal by his side. 

Also Read: Vince Carter's 22-year-long NBA Career Comes To An Abrupt End, Fans Demand Proper Farewell

The Carter Effect: Some key number's from Vince Carter NBA Career

• 25,000: When the Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks played in 2018-19, Vince Carter scored the 25,000th point of his career just before the final buzzer with a trademark dunk.
• 21: The number of times Vince Carter played in Toronto as a visitor, while he featured 207 times in Toronto while a member of the Raptors.
• 9,420: Total points scored by Vinsanity with the Raptors. When Carter was traded to the Nets in 2004-05, he had over twice as many career points with the Toronto Raptors than anyone else. The next most at the time was 4,448 by Doug Christie.
• 4th: Carter's current rank on the Toronto Raptors' all-time leading scoring list. He was eventually passed by Chris Bosh, DeMar DeRozan, and Kyle Lowry.
• 24.6: Vince Carter's scoring average over his first three seasons. Only seven guards in NBA history have averaged more points per game over their first three seasons and 'Air Canada' was the most prolific young scoring guards since Michael Jordan, who averaged 31.7 over his first three seasons with the Chicago Bulls.
• 22nd: Vince Carter's rank in total win shares during his six full seasons with the Raptors. He finished ahead of Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, and Chris Webber in that time period. 

Also Read: Bad Boys, The Carter Effect: 5 Basketball Documentaries To Watch Post The Last Dance

(Image Courtesy: NBA.com)