Vince Carter etches his name in NBA's history books with longevity spread across 4 decades

The likes of LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic have made and broken several records over the course of the 2019-20 NBA season. While the LA Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks may have grabbed headlines this season, one former Mavericks player arguably made the most interesting piece of history when he took the court at the State Farm Arena on Saturday night (Sunday morning IST). When Vince Carter featured for the Atlanta Hawks against the Indiana Pacers, he became the first player in the history of the NBA to appear in four decades - the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s.

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Vince Carter makes NBA history against Indiana Pacers

With longevity that stretches across four decades, Vince Carter has written his name in the history books of the NBA in convincing fashion. The fact that the Atlanta Hawks ended up on the winning side against the Pacers proved a fitting end to Vince Carter's evening. Interestingly, Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic was not even born when Vince Carter was chosen in the 1998 NBA Draft. With eight NBA All-Star appearances, two All-NBA honours and an Olympic gold medal, Vince Carter has had a more than productive career in the NBA. His 360-degree windmill dunk in the 2000 NBA All-Star Game dunk contest earned him the fitting nickname 'Vinsanity'. In fact, Sports Illustrated also ranked it the No.1 in the history of the competition.

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While Vince Carter was an athletic swingman of the highest order during his prime, his longevity in the league can be chalked down to how well he recalibrated his game to keep up with the years. With more than 25,000 points to his name, Vince Carter (20th) sits above the likes of Reggie Miller and Allen Iverson on the NBA's all-time scoring list. While both Miller and Iverson may have played fewer games, that also is a testament to Vince Carter's longevity. 

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Vince Carter stats

With 25,580 points and counting, Vince Carter is 20th on the NBA's all-time scoring list. He also has a career average of 16.9 points per game. However, earlier this season, Vince Carter announced that this will be his last year in the NBA.