Vince Carter wanted to play one more season in his lengthy NBA career, and now, his wish has been granted.
Carter will return to the Atlanta Hawks in what will be his 22nd NBA season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Once he takes the floor this season, he will become the first player in league history to have played in 22 different seasons, and should he stay healthy into 2020, will become the first player in league history to play in four separate decades, but the expectation, according to both Wojnarowski and Carter’s own words, is that he will retire after the 2019-20 campaign as one of the longest-tenured players ever.
Free agent Vince Carter has agreed to a deal to return to the Atlanta Hawks, league source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 5, 2019
At 42-years-old, he is the oldest player on an NBA roster currently, and now that Dirk Nowitzki has retired, he has a three-year lead over the rest of the field. Atlanta’s franchise player, Trae Young, was born after Carter was drafted.
Carter played only 17.5 minutes per game last season, a number that is likely to decrease this season as Atlanta has added more young talent that needs to see the floor. But he will still serve a valuable role on a Hawks team with a very bright future.
With this being Carter’s last season, he should receive the same farewell tour that other legendary NBA players have received.
