Nets retire Vince Carter's No. 15 jersey at Barclays Center

Vince Carter touches his banner as he has his jersey retired during the Brooklyn Nets vs Miami Heat basketball game at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY on Saturday, January 25, 2025 Credit: Ed Murray
Vince Carter hasn’t forgotten those first few days when he walked into his new arena after being traded from Toronto to the Nets — the New Jersey Nets. It was December 2004, and he stared at the retired numbers there in the Meadowlands and imagined the possibilities.
“When I first got here, I was injured, but my first couple of times in the arena, I remember looking up,” Carter said. “I always liked to admire arenas and what’s up there, the jerseys. I’m pretty sure I said, ‘I’d love to see my jersey up there.’ ”
He spent 22 seasons soaring and scoring for eight NBA teams, and on Saturday night, on the eve of his 48th birthday, No. 15 was high up there in the air again.
The Nets’ retired jersey banners had since moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn, so Carter made it to the rafters at Barclays Center. The Hall of Famer stood and watched the large banner with his No. 15 being raised to conclude his jersey retirement ceremony at halftime of the Nets-Heat game.
“This is truly something my family and I will cherish forever,” Carter told the packed house as his family, friends, former teammates, coaches and staff from the Nets and a few from the retired numbers club looked on.

Vince Carter has his jersey retired during the Brooklyn Nets vs Miami Heat basketball game at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY on Saturday, January 25, 2025 Credit: Ed Murray
The Raptors retired his No. 15 in November and the Nets followed suit, expanding their retired jersey club to seven. The 6-6 former guard and forward had done his best work statistically during his 4 1⁄2-plus seasons with the Nets.
His number joined Drazen Petrovic’s 3, Jason Kidd’s 5, John Williamson’s 23, Bill Melchionni’s 25, Julius Erving’s 32 and Buck Williams’ 52.
“Mom told me to find a number and make it famous,” Carter said earlier to the media.
And he made it so famous that it’s hanging out with his idol’s number, fellow Hall of Famer Dr. J. So what does being up there with Erving mean to Carter?

Vince Carter speaks during a pregame NBA basketball press conference before his jersey retirement ceremony at the Barclays Center, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, in New York. Credit: AP/Noah K. Murray
“Everything,” he said. “I have so much respect for Doc.”
Across the East River, the Empire State Building was lit up in the Nets’ old red, white and navy blue colors and Carter’s No. 15 was rotating on the spire.
Back at Barclays, a video played. It was narrated by Erving, and he took everyone on Carter’s journey from a promising kid playing in his native Florida to UNC sensation to NBA superstar.
And then Dr. J stepped up to the mic.
“He deserves to have that new word added to the dictionary like Michael Jordan and a couple of other players who have got words that are used in reference to them,” Erving said. “So ‘Vinsanity’ is what we use in reference to you.”
“Vinsanity” stemmed from that flying ability that often ended with Carter dunking the ball. He especially showed off that ability in winning the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest and later that year when he went on a flight over 7-2 French center Frederic Weis to dunk in the Sydney Olympics. He did it again with the Nets with his famed dunk over Miami’s Alonzo Mourning.
Carter averaged 23.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists across 37.9 minutes in his stay with the Nets — the highest figures he posted for any of his teams — before being traded to the Magic in June 2009.
He gave a lot of credit before the ceremony to his point guard, Kidd, who recorded a video message for the event.
“The first game I was able to play, J-Kidd throwing the lob too darn high and me trying to catch it. I always remember that, and him saying he just wanted to test the waters and see what we’re working with,” Carter said. “ . . . I think that set the tone for some great years.”
He added: “He made the game easier for me.”
Three of Carter’s eight All-Star trips came from 2005-07, the seasons in which he helped the Nets make the playoffs.
The franchise record of 2,070 points was set by Carter in 2006-07. He also set Nets records for most 40-point games with 17 and most 30-point games with 90. He scored 51 points against the Heat in 2005, tied for his career high.
“He’s just an absolute pro,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra — a Heat assistant at the time — said before his team’s 106-97 victory over the Nets. “I loved seeing how his game evolved from when he first came in, just being a dunker, but then really developing as an impossible [player to] guard just because of the way he could shoot and his athleticism.”
After Carter thanked so many from his Nets days, he told the crowd, “This is for not only the players but every young kid, every athlete, every person. When this jersey goes up tonight, I want this to motivate you.”
And soon No. 15 was soaring again.
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