(Audacy) Vince Carter had a great NBA career that was full of memorable moments, including one involving league icon Michael Jordan.
During an episode of the "NBA Today" show on ESPN on Wednesday, Carter recalled how he tried to convince the six-time NBA champion Jordan to take his starting spot in the 2003 NBA All-Star Game.
“During the All-Star break, the NBA kind of encouraged me, like 'Hey, it's probably a good idea that MJ starts in his last game,'" Carter said. "I mean, that was a no-brainer for me. I remember walking into All-Star (weekend), you know how All-Star weekend is with all the festivities. It's just bananas, and MJ is in the back doing what he does and I walked in and said, 'Hey MJ, it's your last All-Star game, and I think you're going to start.'”
Then Carter continued, saying Jordan told the budding young guard that he should start because he "earned it."
“He said, 'No, you earned it,'" Carter recalled. "I said 'No, no, no you didn’t hear me … you’re going to start.' Because I didn’t want to get blackballed and have the NBA and the fans ask me how he (Jordan) is not starting in his last game -- but MJ (goes), 'No, you earned it.' I then tell MJ, 'Look here, I will walk to the back of the locker room during starting lineups … you’re gonna start. I’m not about to get blackballed.'"
Jordan did end up starting and contributed to a back-and-forth affair between the East and West All-Stars. Down the wire, with the game close and less than a minute left to go in the fourth quarter, the East looked like it might secure a victory, giving Jordan a great farewell, but the late, great Kobe Bryant stepped up for the West to ruin Jordan’s final All-Star game.
“You see that patented Jordan fadeway hit over Shawn Marion, nothing but net," Carter said. "We tried our best, yelling to stop the game right there, I think there was like seven seconds left, and we were just like, 'Stop the game, stop the game.' Well, rest in peace to Kobe Bryant, but being Kobe Bryant, he wanted to win the game. He grabs the ball after the timeout, gets fouled by Jermaine O’Neal, hits both free throws, and we lose.”
Here's the sequence of plays that Carter was referring to.
Bryant sent the game into a second overtime, with the West ultimately winning the game 155-145. It's just another story to confirm how competitive Bryant was, so much so he didn't cut one of his idols a break.
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