In life, people often grow through different stages, and sometimes, paths that once matched no longer do. The same can happen between a player and a franchise in the NBA.
Vince Carter knows this well: by September 2004, it was clear to the future Hall of Famer that he and the Toronto Raptors were no longer heading in the same direction. What once looked like a lasting bond had quietly turned into V.C.’s desire to find a situation more in tune with where he was in his career.
“Air Canada” lifted Toronto, then faced turbulence
Carter is seen as a Raptors legend, but not many remember how rocky his time with the team ended.
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After being drafted fifth overall by the Golden State Warriors in 1998 and quickly traded to Toronto, the 6’6″ guard-forward helped change the direction of a young and, until then, struggling franchise.
“Air Canada” won Rookie of the Year and earned a spot on the All-NBA Third Team in just his sophomore year. With his explosive dunks and constant highlight plays, Vince eventually brought fresh energy to a city still trying to find its place in the basketball world and led the Raptors to their first-ever playoff appearance.
However, after this early success, problems started to show. The Florida native was often sidelined by injuries, missing more than 70 games over three seasons, including the entire 2002 playoffs.
By the 2003–04 season, frustration was growing. Toronto finished with a disappointing 33–49 record and missed the playoffs, leaving their star player seriously questioning his future with the team.
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Carter’s patience ran out
When the Raptors hit that rough patch, they actually had some promising young talent ready to shape a better future — especially Chris Bosh, a 6’11” forward-center from Texas whose potential was obvious. However, as with any rebuild, progress would take time — something Carter, then 27, felt he didn’t want to be a part of.
Still without a championship ring and about to start his seventh NBA season, V.C. was becoming increasingly frustrated — not just with how the team was managed, but also because his own goals didn’t align with those of a rebuilding Raptors squad.
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That’s why the one-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion told the Toronto Star, “It’s time for the truth: I want to be traded,” before explaining his reasons in a letter posted on his website.
“My frustration comes from the fact that we have not been able to create an equation to win ballgames,” Vince wrote. “I am at the point in my career where I do not have time to wait two to four years for a team to mature.”
It was a pretty understandable explanation. Still, as is often the case, a player who wants out is usually still under contract with the team he wants to leave. That’s why Toronto’s front office initially refused to budge.
“He’s (Carter) under contract with our team. We expect him to fulfill all obligations of the contract,” said then-Raptors GM Rob Babcock.
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Only a few months later, in late December 2004, Carter got his wish. Although his new team, the New Jersey Nets, wasn’t in a similar rebuilding phase, it didn’t change the fact that “Air Canada” still couldn’t win a championship ring during his five seasons there.