"That's insane glazing"- Fans mock Nets for retiring Vince Carter's jersey despite NBA legend playing only 5 seasons
Soon-to-be Hall of Famer Vince Carter will have his jersey retired by the Brooklyn Nets during the 2024-25 NBA season. On Thursday, NBA reporter Mike Scotto reported that the Nets plan to retire Carter's jersey on Jan. 25. While the Nets already made it clear that they would retire Carter's jersey, no date had been set.
In addition to coming on the heels of the announcement that the veteran guard would be inducted into the HoF. The news also comes on the heels of Carter being featured as the cover athlete on the Hall of Fame edition of NBA 2k25.
While many shared highlights from the high-flying guard's career, others questioned why the Nets decided to retire Carter's jersey when he played just five seasons for the Nets.
Alongside players such as Julius Erving, considered the eternal face of the Nets organization, some members of the NBA community questioned whether Carter deserved to be immortalized alongside him.
"He played there for 5 seasons. That’s insane glazing," one tweeted.
"Played just 5 seasons there and he didn't even win any MVP at the franchise. Yall be retiring anything that wore an NBA Jersey.." one tweeted.
Others took aim at the Nets organization:
"He played 5 seasons and they are retiring his jersey. Shows how terrible Brooklyn are," another tweeted.
"Not the same city, ownership group or even staff. They have no history and are desperate for one," one fan tweeted.
Looking at Vince Carter's career with the Brooklyn Nets
As many fans were quick to point out, the most formative years of Vince Carter's career took place in Toronto, where he played for the Raptors. Following an injury-plagued 2002-03 season, Carter bounced back the following year; however, Toronto missed the playoffs.
As a result, Brooklyn manager Glen Grunwald traded him to the Nets that summer, who were playing in New Jersey then. His first year with the team saw him play 57 games for the franchise, averaging a whopping 27.5 points per game with the team to earn his sixth-straight All-Star selection.
During his five seasons with the Nets, Carter earned two more All-Star selections with the franchise both in the 2005-06 season and the 2006-07 season. The team also had several notable playoff runs, specifically during the 2006 postseason.
After ending the regular season with a 49-33 record that saw them finish third in the Eastern Conference, the team wound up losing a second-round matchup with the Miami Heat, who would go on to raise the Larry O'Brien trophy that same year.
The following year, the team fell to sixth in the Eastern Conference. However, on the backs of Carter and Jason Kidd, the team was able to upset the Raptors in the first round. The Nets lost to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who made a run all the way to the NBA Finals that season, in the second.
While Carter remained with the team for another two years, the Nets failed to make the playoffs and eventually traded him to the Orlando Magic for the 2008-09 season.