Vincent Lamar Carter Jr. He primarily played the shooting guard and small forward positions, but occasionally played power forward later in his NBA career. Carter entertained crowds with his leaping ability and slam dunks, earning him nicknames such as " Vinsanity ", " Air Canada " a play on the Canadian airline of the same name , and " Half Man, Half Amazing ".
In addition to his dunking prowess, Carter was a prolific three-point shooter, making the tenth most three-point field goals in league history. He represented the United States in the Summer Olympics , where he led the team in scoring and captured a gold medal. In December , Carter was traded to the New Jersey Nets , where he continued his offensive success. He was recognized in as Child Advocate of the Year by the Children's Home Society, and received the Florida Governor's Points of Light award in for his philanthropy in his home state.
Carter was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in His parents divorced when he was seven. He played football as a quarterback until a broken wrist in his freshman year forced him to switch to volleyball. He is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. He finished the —98 season with a In May after his junior year, Carter declared for the NBA draft , following his classmate Jamison, who had declared earlier that spring.
During his NBA career, Carter continued his coursework at North Carolina, and in August , he graduated with a degree in Afro-American studies , squeezing in attendance at May graduation ceremonies at North Carolina before leaving to make a Raptors' playoff game in Philadelphia. He was then immediately traded to the Toronto Raptors for the fourth overall pick, Antawn Jamison on draft night. Carter was instrumental in leading the Raptors to their first-ever playoff appearance in before going on to lead them to a win season and their first-ever playoff series win in , advancing them to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Carter quickly became a fan favorite with a soaring offensive game that earned him the nickname "Air Canada". In —01 , his third season, Carter averaged a career-high The Raptors finished the regular season with a then franchise-record 47 wins. In the playoffs , the Raptors beat the New York Knicks 3—2 in the first round and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals to face off against the Philadelphia 76ers.
