5) Is Vince Carter a Villain?
Mike Bossetti
The duplicity of Vince Carter in Toronto is unlike almost any superstar of all time. On one hand, he put the Raptors on the map and is a major influence on the growth of basketball in Canada. On the other hand, he’s the guy who quit on the team and the fanbase. He didn’t just ask for a trade. He quit.
Time heals all wounds, and as time goes on, Vince Carter will slowly be remembered more for his positives than his negatives, and that’s a good thing. However, Vince is a villain. He just might be a hero too.
Zak McDonald:
The Toronto Raptors have a lot of new fans and that is awesome. There’s no place for gatekeeping in sports, people are free and encouraged to cheer for whoever they would like to cheer for.
However, with new fans sometimes there can be a bit of revisionist history, and for the Toronto Raptors, the biggest case of revisionist history comes with Vince Carter. Yes, he did a lot of great things for the franchise, but the way he left the team is unforgivable.
It wasn’t just that he wanted out, he intentionally played poorly for half a season and tanked his own trade value. He deserved all the boo’s he got and ultimately is still a villain.
Geethan Viswathasan:
As one of the first stars North of the border, Vince shouldered a unique burden as the face of not only the league but also a fledgling small-market team. The gratitude for putting Toronto on the map the first time can’t be forgotten.
That being said, the way in which he left the Raptors can only be described as unprofessional and childish. While it can be argued Kawhi “owed us nothing”, Carter made a financial commitment to play for the Raptors and was not adult enough to see it through.
Vince Carter vilified himself and would probably be retiring with a Raptors jersey if not for the sour taste he left behind.
Go Paolo:
I’ve gone back-and-forty here but the answer has to be a “Yes”. Although he’s flipped from a hero to a villain to a redemptive hero, he was the bad guy for some time.
He left Toronto on bad terms, some of which was his fault, and burned the team on several occasions. As the franchise’s first superstar, his betrayal followed by his subsequent success, some at the team’s expense, was a Shakespearean-level.
Vince was a villain but in the end, he’ll be remembered as one of Toronto’s heroes.