After spending last season with the Sacramento Kings, Carter surprised a lot of people by once again signing with a rebuilding team this summer. This time, it was the Atlanta Hawks. With Carter’s career coming to a close, many expected he would try to join a contender for a shot at his first championship. However, the veteran said that’s just not what he’s about. Via ESPN:
Vince Carter doesn’t judge his peers for chasing rings. But it’s not something that he plans to do.
“I come from an era where that’s not how it was. So that’s still instilled in me. And I don’t have any problem with how it’s done now. (It’s) just not for me,” Carter, 41, said Thursday on a conference call for the Jr. NBA World Championships.
“I still want to play the game,” Carter, the oldest player in the NBA said. “Whatever minutes are there, I want (them).”
This is a pretty reasonable take from Carter. It’s completely understandable that veterans who have been around for a long time without winning a title would look for an opportunity to do so before their career is over. And, as Carter notes, there’s nothing wrong with that.
At the same time, it’s understandable that some players like Carter may feel that getting a ring that way just wouldn’t be the same. That isn’t to say they wouldn’t have earned it, but winning a title as the 10th man is a lot different than winning one as a main contributor.
In any case, it will be fun to have Carter around for at least one more season. And that’s just on the court. Given the promise he’s shown as a broadcaster during Summer League — one reason he may have joined the Hawks is so he can live near Turner Studios in Atlanta and further his connections into broadcasting — we should see Carter around the NBA world for many years to come.
Courtesy: CBS Sports
