The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Mark Stewart (author of “The Fire Burns Bright”) and Stew Thornley (author of “Super Sports Star Vince Carter”) about Vince Carter winning a gold medal in 2000. Today marks the 22nd anniversary of Vince getting drafted 5th overall by Golden State in the 1998 NBA Draft.
(photo credit: jockbio.com)
Carter attended Mainland High School where he played QB on the football team, was named the Volusia County volleyball POY as a junior, and was offered a saxophone scholarship to Bethune-Cookman: was he just 1 of those people who did a bunch of different things and succeeded at all of them? Mark Stewart: Vince was 1 of those people who was good enough at almost everything he tried that he would want to see just how good he could be. It was a combination of talent, curiosity (which is something that very few athletes have), and a willingness to work hard/focus on getting better. Stew Thornley: He might not have succeeded at all of them but had enough talent to do well at everything. He was a little like Bo Jackson in terms of being an athlete who could do everything. Vince liked to challenge himself as well.
He played for both Dean Smith/Bill Guthridge at North Carolina and made back-to-back Final 4s in 1997/1998: how did he like playing for these 2 Olympic coaches, and how close did he come to winning a title? MS: As a freshman he split time at small forward with Antawn Jamison/Ademola Okulaja. The team was not particularly strong: they lost to Texas Tech in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament. Obviously UNC had a lot more talent during his last 2 seasons on the team but they relied on freshman point guard Ed Cota to trigger the offense, which hurt them in the Final 4. Vince was trying to do a little too much in the loss to Arizona and that hurt them as well: he could not buy a 3-pointer. As a junior he lost in the tournament to Utah in the national semifinal. Vince had a decent game but the Tar Heels had a crappy 1st half and it cost them. I think that they were the best team in the country by far and would have killed Kentucky in the title game. If I were a Carolina fan (which I am not since I went to Duke!) I would consider that the most disappointing outcome imaginable…ever. ST: I was in Indianapolis for Dean Smith’s last game. I guess you could call it an upset that Arizona beat them, although the Wildcats did end up winning it all. His high school coach told him to shoot more because he was such a good team player. Part of it was that his coach knew that he had a great career ahead of him. He admired Coach Smith but he was still benched a little bit as a freshman due to too much offensive freelancing. It might have been frustrating but by his sophomore year they made the Final 4: Smith called him the most improved player on the team.
He was drafted 5th overall by Golden State in 1998 (ahead of guys like Dirk Nowitzki/Paul Pierce) and then traded to Toronto with cash in exchange for his former Tar Heel teammate Antawn Jamison: what did it mean to him to get drafted, and what did it mean to him to get traded? MS: I am sure that he would have preferred San Francisco over Toronto but both are great cities. In Toronto he had the chance to develop into a superstar without the press/fans criticizing his every move. ST: What made it easier with the trade was that his distant cousin Tracy McGrady was already a Raptor. They ended up becoming really good friends and it was cool for him to get drafted so high. Carter was close to Jamison as well but he reminded me of Jordan in terms of a guy his size who could put on a show. Making people forget about Jordan was not on his agenda: he remained focused on school even after going pro because he had promised his mom that he would eventually graduate. Some people criticized him for returning to campus to get his degree but I thought that it was a great thing.
He scored 18.3 PPG that season and was named NBA ROY: how was he able to make such a smooth transition from college to the NBA? MS: I actually think that his coach (Butch Carter) had a positive impact. He had been an assistant in Milwaukee when that team was full of talented head-cases who squandered their talent. That was not Vince, of course, but I bet that Butch kept him on an even keel. ST: He had 3 years of college so it was not like he was an 18-year old 1-and-done guy. He rebounded well for a small forward and could pass/block some shots. He was pretty grounded due to having a good upbringing/good coaching. Smith would sometimes put his foot down and Carter would respond because of his maturity.
He won the Slam Dunk Contest at the 2000 NBA All-Star Weekend with 1 of the most acrobatic performances that anyone has ever seen: how did that dunk contest change his life (if at all)? MS: It showed the world that he could do extraordinary things with a basketball. People who watched SportsCenter had seen his highlight dunks and knew how good he was but a lot of casual fans had not. Remember, there was no YouTube/Facebook back then so the outlets for video of players were somewhat limited. ST: In some ways I think that it changed people’s perceptions of him. He was never trying to be Jordan or anything like that: it was just a fun event where he could put on the moves. It was an opportunity for him to show off and get people to ooh and aah like at the Home Run Derby. He was not trying to prove anything but also had a couple of dunks during the All-Star Game.
That summer he won a gold medal with team USA at the Olympics, which included 1 of the most memorable dunks of all-time when he jumped over 7’2” French center Frederic Weis: what did it mean to him to represent his country, and what did it mean to him to win a gold medal? MS: American pro athletes really value Olympic gold: not because it says that they are the best (they know that already!) but because many of them grew up in situations where people felt disconnected from the “American Dream.” Beyond the pride of winning and the unique experience of the Olympics, I think that winning a medal strengthens an athlete’s connection to his/her country. ST: It was an honor for all of them to play for the US. After not winning the gold medal in 1988 it was no longer a given that they would win a gold so they took it pretty seriously. It reminded me of the Bulls going to Paris in the fall of 1997 and being pressured to win the McDonald’s Championship.
In Game 3 of the 2001 Eastern Conference Semifinals against Philadelphia he scored 50 PTS and set a playoff record with 8 3PM in a single half: how was he able to change his skill set from dunker to 3-PT shooter over the course of just 1 year? MS: Practice, practice, practice. ST: I had kind of forgotten about that but he was a pretty good shooter. He was not simply an inside scorer like Darrell Griffith.
In December of 2005 he tied his career high of 51 PTS and set an NBA record for the most FTM in a single quarter with 16 in the 4th quarter of a 7-PT win at Miami: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every FT he put up seemed to go in because he was “in the zone”? MS: Miami had a lot of talent that year but nobody who had the specific ability to guard Vince in isolation. My recollection is that Vince got a ton of points after halftime and the Nets had a double-digit lead in the 4th quarter so he just kept going 1-on-1 and attacking the basket and then made his free throws. ST: He was a pretty good FT shooter but what is more amazing than making them was just getting to the line that often. When I think of the “zone” I think of Jordan making 6 threes in the 1992 Finals vs. Portland. He was so dangerous that nobody wanted him to hurt them with a 2 or 3.
He is the only player in NBA history to play 22 seasons, the only player to play in 4 different decades, and played in 60 of Atlanta’s 67 games this season before the NBA was postponed due to the coronavirus: what has been the key to his longevity, and do you think we have seen his final game yet? MS: I bet he plays another year if he feels that his health is not at risk. He is just 1 of those players whose body was built perfectly for his sport and he has avoided any major injuries. Think about guys like Nolan Ryan/Tom Brady/Wayne Gretzky. Vince did so many valuable things well in his prime that even though his skills diminished his experience/wisdom increased so he was still able to maintain an acceptably high level of play. ST: I remember when he played in Minnesota earlier this season. He looks a little different than he did 20 years ago but he has stayed in shape and still looks solid. Every year that I have seen him it was incredible to see that he was still playing. You have to be committed to working out and staying in shape. He might not have been the marquee name because he moved around from team to team. I hope Vince (1541 career games) comes back next year and can pass Robert Parish (1611 career games) for the all-time record.
He made 8 straight All-Star games from 2000-2007 despite dealing with several knee/hamstring/ankle injuries: do you think we will see him in Springfield whenever he decides to hang up his sneakers? MS: Absolutely: I know the folks at the Hall of Fame very well and I think that he goes in on the 1st ballot! ST: I definitely do based on everything that he has accomplished.