A Case For The Naismith HOF: Vince Carter
With North Carolina legend Charlie Scott’s recent ascent into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, we thought it would be fun to evaluate the candidacy of some other former Tar Heels not yet enshrined.
We selected seven players and will run this series in seven segments. Understand that the Naismith Hall of Fame isn’t an NBA hall, it’s for all of basketball. Dean Smith and Roy Williams, as examples, are in.
So are players such as Bill Walton and Bill Bradley. Walton was one of the greatest college players ever, but aside from a couple of very good NBA seasons, his pro numbers may not measure up to most players inducted. His career was massively affected by injuries, but they are part of the game, and he was a bit overrated after returning from missing a lot of time.
That he won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award in 1986 averaging 7.6 points and 6.8 rebounds is an example. The media liked him and propped him up, this building up his aura.
Bradley was an outstanding college player and a good NBA player. But his numbers weren’t that great, yet he played for the New York Knicks and the media loved him, too. And one has to wonder if there was some element of bias in his induction, give his post-basketball career in politics.
So, with all of that in mind, let’s look at eight former Tar Heels and their candidacies for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. We will explore one player a day for the next eight days:
So far we’ve done:
(Note: We want your thoughts on each player, as well)
Vince Carter
Carter didn’t have a great career at UNC, though most people believe he did. He was a consensus second-team All-America his junior season in 1998, and certainly deserved it. But much of his college career was a major learning process, even with the highlight reel plays.
He was on two UNC teams that reached the Final Four and internationally won a gold medal in the Olympics.
Carter’s work in the NBA has been outstanding and is what should get him into Springfield. Overshadowed by not winning a championship, Carter is about to reach the 25,000-point mark, he has more than 6,300 rebounds and 4,600 assists. He averaged 20-plus points in 10 consecutive seasons in one stretch, six times averaging 24 or more per season.
He was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1999 and has played in 8 All-Star games. He won the slam dunk title in 2000, was voted NBA Teammate of the Year in 2016, and has been one of the most entertaining players in the history of the sport.
For these reasons, it’s very difficult to imagine Carter not making the Naismith Hall of Fame.