June 24, 1998: Toronto Raptors trade Antawn Jamison for Vince Carter in the 1998 draft
With the 1998-1999 lockout season going on, there was a lot of time for Scottie Pippen, Damon Stoudamire and Vince Carter to train together. Like Jordan instilled a winning mentality on Pippen, Pippen decided to do the same with Stoudamire and Carter. Vince Carter, who was never ever known for his defense suddenly becomes a pretty good defensive player — he always had the athletic ability to be a great defender. And Scottie Pippen looks healthier than ever.
The Toronto Raptors would have a blistering start to the season and quickly became fan favorites. Not many teams had a 5 feet 10 point guard, a generational dunker and the best defender ever on the same team. They also had rising star Marcus Camby who led the league in blocks the previous season — who wouldn’t have been traded because Pippen valued Camby highly.
The Raptors have exceeded expectations and have made history-making the playoffs for the first time ever. They end the season at 30-20, which is good enough for the fifth seed. They face the Atlanta Hawks who were led by Dikembe Mutombo.