VINCE CARTER IS THE FORCE
The New Sensation
By Alon Marcovici
NBA.com News & Features: The New Sensation
His name is Vince. Not Vincent Lamar Carter. Not 'Air Canada.' Not 'The UFO.' Not 'Human Highlight Film II.' Not 'The Next Michael.' It's Vince. Simply Vince. Even his mom's having a hard time with it, though.
A Superstar By Any Name
Not that Michelle didn't expect it, nor plan for it. Not that she couldn't see the signs when a scalpers market developed for his high school games. Not that she didn't think her son would be a superstar ever since he was in seventh grade and she told him that instead of MJ's #23 jersey, he should make his own number 15 famous.
"Even in high school he was an icon here," Michelle said. "I think he was the non-traditional athlete. He's such a gifted athlete, he's always got that smile, he's a nice guy, I don't know anybody that doesn't like him." Michelle knew all along that some day her son would be famous and successful. But to Michelle Carter Robinson, her son is Vincent. This Vince thing? Well, it still needs to settle.
A New Era for Vincent
But Vince was also Vincent when he grabbed the alto sax, which begot the tenor sax, which begot the trumpet, which begot the drums, which begot the baritone. Every now and again, after school, he'd go to the Nova Rec Centre and he'd become Vince again. These days to the millions of fans who've embraced the latest rage in Carolina alumni, it's all Vince all the time.
You Can't Stop Vince Carter
"If there's a roadblock, you accomplish it another way," Michelle said back then and practices still. "We always told him not to let other people limit you by telling you that you can't do something. Because if you want to do it, then obviously in the back of your mind, you think you can do it. And then don't you ever quit."
A New Era for the NBA
Comparisons Aplenty
And like Puffy, he's a one-name wonder. Three months into his All-Star career (you know the 'Stars are coming, don't you?) he's already known simply as Vince.
He's Got Game, Too
Here and Now
An avid pasta-lover, Vince "can't cook a lick," which he attributes to Michelle's undying love of eating out. His summer homes are Chapel Hill, Toronto and Daytona, where he heads to the golf range with his dad and hangs with his friends - "crazy as he's always been" is the way longtime friends would describe him.
Time is split between developing his game and his community. His self-created and jointly managed foundation, Embassy of Hope, assists children of diverse backgrounds, "not just underprivileged kids, so we can reach a lot of kids." Vince's ideas range from helping to run a babysitting service and educating youth about teen pregnancy, to helping kids buy school books or getting them band uniforms. Typical of him; why limit yourself to only the traditional charitable route when you can do much much more?
All in the Family
Meanwhile, Coach Carter knows that the rise and fall of the Toronto Raptors will come with how well the player Carter can coach. His ability to lead and get in veterans' faces will be critical to the team's success. "Being drum major helped me become a stronger leader, a more vocal leader, a more positive leader," Vince said. "Next year . . . next year I'll be able to do that here on court."
Which makes the future of the Raptors very bright.
"I'm having fun, and you just can't beat this," Vince said. "Can't beat it really."
Sound familiar? Beat it by Michael Jackson. And yes, Vince has got that CD, too.
Michelle Carter Robinson wears her role as Vince Carter's mom loud and proud. She dons a Toronto Raptors cap and T-shirt, carries a Raptors keychain, drives a white Mercedes Benz with a license plate RAPTR 15 and has a smile that lights up central Florida. But she's still warming up to this whole Vince-Carter-as-superstar gig.
Vincent became Vince in seventh grade. He began playing organized ball. He began drawing crowds and at 5-foot-8 he had his first dunk. (You never forget your first, do you?)
Vince learned to love basketball, and band, and education from his parents and for himself. His mom divorced when Vince was seven, so Harry Robinson has always been dad. Educators both - Michelle in business, Harry in music - Vince's parents encouraged him, rather than pushed him, to never quit. Sort of a 'don't force him to pass, but show him the lane' kind of attitude.
So Vince never quit anything, including getting better at everything. He mastered musical instruments, and mastered hoops until offers from 77 colleges came in - don't even mention to Blue Devils that Duke was on his short list; they're still sore.
Drafted fifth, then traded for his UNC buddy Antawn Jamison, Vince entered the league and unburdened the systematic Carolina reins just in time to feel the Coach Butch Carter NBA System of Tough Love. A breakout 26-point, game-winning performance illustrated the Butch credo: "I know he had a great night, but for that kind of athlete not to get a defensive rebound?" Butch said in a Riles-like 'get the most out of your players' kind of way. "My job is to love him and kick him. The loving's over, and it's time to kick him."
With a 41-inch vertical, instantaneous springs, and uncanny balance, the man with the million-dollar smile can slam with the best of 'em. Already he's been compared to Dominique, MJ, and Dr. J. But he's also as smooth as Iceman, as fearless as Isiah, and as dominating as Magic. Like a Puff-Daddy of the hardwood, he mixes and remasters the classics and adds his own flair for a new masterpiece. "I think my game has more flair, my game might be more flamboyant," he said in comparing himself to Jordan.
"At the beginning of last season," said veteran Charles Oakley, "we didn't have a franchise player, but now we have one in Vince." We noticed. Vince already has a Web site Jam Cam, near-nightly SportsCenter highlights, and he's a virtual lock for a handful of ESPYs next year.
He's also got a collection of music to rival his collection of moves, a charcoal grey Range Rover, and a two-bedroom waterfront apartment less than a free throw-line dunk away from Toronto's new Air Canada Centre. Christened as the Air Carter Centre in newspapers, basketball tipped off in the arena with Vince's 27-point, 6-rebound, 5-assist, 4-steal, 3-foul, 2-block, 1-turnover, 0-peer performance. So far Vince has resuscitated Puma, rescued Canadian basketball, and given the Raptors their first true chance at NBA success. Try doing THAT off a drum major scholarship to Bethune-Cookman - did he mention he was offered that, too?
Carolina blue tank top and Raptor purple shorts droop off his rigid frame in model-like fashion. Vince sits in his ninth story apartment, high above the distractions of an adoring city, with CDs to his left, right and everywhere. An absolute addict to the beat - he even dances to the scoreboard video for the Raptor player intros - Vince lives life to his own soundtrack. From DMX to Babyface to Motown to 2Pac, Vince just can't bear to throw any discs out (forgive him for owning Achy Breaky Heart). Many a time, he roams around his living room and grooves to any of his roughly 600 discs. The requisite satellite dish, Bose stereo and large screen TV are background, but Vince, he's just grooving - not just dancing, but grooooovin'.
Three years, three floors and six degrees of separation separate Vince Carter from teammate Tracy McGrady. Officially they're "cousins," albeit distant, but they're closer than that. Vince met Tracy when he was a high school soph and Tracy a seventh-grader. Now they share the same harbourfront apartment building, hoop dreams and PlayStation games (McGrady wins Blitz, Vince takes NBA Live 99). "Vince is out of control," a stoked T-Mac gloated after his elder cuz dominated a big home win last season. "I was stunned. He did things I didn't think he had in him."
Vince gets amped when he sees Tracy perform, but he knows getting the most out of his young cousin will take some family love. "He's my friend, my relative and it's fun going against him every day. But I'm definitely going to be on top of him and I'm sure that will help him, too," said Carter.
