I am a 2000s kid, so I wasn’t around (at least coherently) to fully understand hoops the way I do now as an adult. That’s why someone like Vince Carter largely carries a nostalgic aura and legendary status for me. For others, especially those who experienced his prime years, feelings about him might differ, given the anomaly that is "Half-Man, Half-Amazing."
I’ve done my fair share of homework and studied the decline of Vince Carter’s time in Toronto, but there’s only so much you can read or watch. Still, I don’t think it will ever fully sink in for me ... the way the city eventually turned against the same man they once praised just a few years earlier.
It was truly a beef so spectacular that you just had to be there to witness it.
And so, bearing that context and historical significance in mind, I recently came across a poll conducted by the guys at TSN 1050. The bracket was for a title that I imagine few sports figures would want to hold: "Most Disliked Toronto Athlete of the Past Quarter-Century."
Lo and behold, it would be the legendary Vince Carter, who, as the second seed in the bracket, defeated another controversial figure in Raptors history: Goran Dragic, who was the 16th seed in the bracket.
Vince Carter named most disliked Toronto sports figure of last 25 years
Despite Dragic's brief stint in Toronto — which was almost a "blink and you missed it" kind of run — Carter's legacy clearly prevailed. Looking at how things stand as of 2025, with that incredible and emotional jersey retirement ceremony for VC last November and the tides having shifted a lot since the early to mid-2000s; you can’t deny the harsh feelings and grudges Toronto fans held against Carter.
Raptors Rapture’s Josh Cornelissen recently did a throwback piece recalling the time Vince Carter was accused of tipping plays to the opponent in the final stages of his Raptors run.
I was at least there for the Dragic hate, and while I can say that a lot of people weren't feeling the Slovenian vet’s choice words about playing in the city, it doesn’t hold a candle to the deafening boos, the taped-up, the X'd out VC jerseys, the jerseys turned into baby bibs ... I think you get what I mean. The hate was raw and at a fever pitch in every possible way.
That 20th anniversary night when Carter came to town and that emotional tribute video played on the jumbotron in Toronto might’ve been the first step toward healing, as the broadcast team hinted, eventually leading to the positive discourse and reactions to VC today. But those bold fans can’t take back how they felt once upon a time. I’m really glad Vince Carter eventually got the flowers he deserved, but earning this title of most despised Toronto athlete of the past 25 years still feels totally justified.