Half thirty-something man, half occasionally amazing? Watch 37 year-old Vince Carter turn back the clock with this acrobatic finish around Alexis Ajinca in the Memphis Grizzlies’ 93-81 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night.
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Nice.
Carter’s 16-year career is a triumph of evolution. Once considered by some to be on par with Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady as basketball’s preeminent wing scorer, he’s willingly taken a role-playing backseat as his skills and athleticism have slowly eroded. How many other former superstars enjoy success of Carter’s level this late in their basketball lives?
VC isn’t an elite player anymore, and is most effective in limited minutes. But he proved an extremely valuable secondary ballhandler, bench playmaker, and part-time defensive stopper for the Dallas Mavericks the past few seasons, and will surely be the same with Memphis going forward.
And obviously, Carter’s still capable of a few plays every season that remind us of his starring, otherworldly athletic past.
What do you think?
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