Nets to Retire Vince Carter's Jersey Tonight vs. Heat

The Nets legend will have his No. 15 retired tonight as Brooklyn takes on Miami.

Oct 30, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Former NBA player Vince Carter talks with Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams (1) during warm ups prior to the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets are set to face the Miami Heat tonight at 6 p.m. ET at the Barclays Center. The Nets, who are 14-31, haven't had much to be excited about this season, as their rebuild is in full effect. However, tonight is a special occasion, as legend and Hall-of-Famer Vince Carter will have his jersey retired.

Carter's No. 15 will be retired at halftime of Brooklyn's game against the Heat. His jersey was retired by the Toronto Raptors on Nov. 2 against the Atlanta Hawks, another former team of Carter's. His Nets jersey retirement was announced back in September, so fans and the organization have been anticipating this moment for a long time.

Carter averaged 23.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in five seasons with the then-New Jersey Nets. He was traded to New Jersey from Toronto in a blockbuster deal in 2004, helping the Nets get to three playoff appearances in that span. In the postseason, Carter was even better, averaging 26.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in 27 playoff games with the team.

While Carter was most famous for popularizing basketball in Canada with the Raptors, his time with the Nets is certainly not forgotten. While he had more accolades in Toronto, the forward was statistically just as productive in New Jersey, playing alongside fellow Hall-of-Famer Jason Kidd.

With the jersey retirement set to take place tonight during halftime tonight, the Nets will hope to secure a win not just for the organization but for Carter as well. Brooklyn will have a better shot at winning than usual, as Heat star Jimmy Butler will be out due to suspension, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.

The Miami Heat are planning to suspend Jimmy Butler for two games, sources tell ESPN. Butler missed a team flight Wednesday and had plans to join the Heat tonight. Now Miami is keeping him home from its two-game road trip. pic.twitter.com/eABrZ8yv2k

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 22, 2025

A win on the same night as Carter would be a feel-good moment for the Nets and their fans. Brooklyn has struggled for the greater part of the regular season thus far, having traded key veterans Dorian Finney-Smith and Dennis Schroder to maximize youth and draft capital for the future. The losses were expected, as the Nets came into the season with little to work with, resulting in the majority of analysts predicting them to be a lottery team for the 2025 NBA Draft.

Want to join the discussion? Like Nets on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Nets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.