Nets Retire Vince Carter’s No. 15: ‘Something My Family and I Will Cherish Forever’

It was a special night in Brooklyn as Vince Carter’s legendary number was raised to the rafters at Barclays Center.

Jan 25, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Former NBA star Vince Carter watches with family members as his number is raised to the rafters during his jersey retirement ceremony at halftime of a game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Miami Heat at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / John Jones-Imagn Images

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets retired Vince Carter's No. 15 on Saturday night, celebrating a legendary career and marking a special night in the borough for the Hall of Famer.

“This is truly something my family and I will cherish forever,” Carter said during his jersey retirement speech. “I’m truly honored,” he had said before the game.

The Nets raised No. 15 to the rafters at halftime during the team’s game against the Miami Heat. For a few moments, in 2025, the Nets caught Vinsanity — Carter’s competitiveness, mesmerizing electricity, otherworldly athleticism and infectious joy, as Nets announcer Ian Eagle described in the jersey retirement ceremony’s opening marks.

“Vince loved playing basketball, and we all loved watching him play,” Eagle said.

The pomp and circumstance was worthy of one of basketball’s highest honors. The culmination of an iconic body of work. The flashbacks to unforgettable moments. A near-divine occasion, as the number you represented a team with gets lifted into an arena’s, and a franchise’s, history. 

Carter said pregame: “I always like to admire arenas and what's up there, the jerseys ... I'm pretty sure I said, 'Man, I'd love to see my jersey up there.' I just remember always seeing No. 52 … those guys up there, night in, night out. I would always just glance up there.” 

That No. 52 refers to Charles "Buck" Williams, whose jersey was retired by the Nets in 1999. Carter's No. 15 is the seventh jersey retired by the franchise, following Williams, Dražen Petrović (No. 3), Jason Kidd (No. 5), John Williamson (No. 23), Bill Melchionni (No. 25) and his “hero,” who sat with him courtside, Julius Erving (No. 32).

Carter’s story with the No. 15 started as a high school freshman. That was when his coach told him he couldn’t wear No. 23 or No. 6. 

“Mom told me [to] find a number and make it famous,” Carter recalled. 

There’s no doubt that he did. But it wasn’t always this way. 

“The funny thing about wearing No. 15 in the early 90s — it wasn’t a popular number — so when I played on some AAU teams, they didn’t have it, so they had to order it,” Carter said.

Carter spent five seasons with the New Jersey Nets, averaging 23.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists, and achieving three straight All-Star berths. The Daytona Beach-born highflyer is third in total points for the Nets, fourth in 3-pointers made and sixth in assists. 

Dr. J narrated in a congratulatory video: “You can choose a number, or you can make a number mean something.”

The eight-time all-star played in the NBA for 22 seasons until he was 43 years old. He represented the Nets, Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks.

About his long career, Carter said: “I wanted to, not because I had to. I wanted to. I wanted to play. I hated, in my 40s, when coaches were like, ‘The load management … rest because your usage is up.’ I only played 15 minutes. What usage? I don’t care about my age. I came [from] an era where it was a badge of honor to play the minutes that I played, and I’m playing 77+ games. We were trying to get to 82 games played. That was important, so that’s always been my mentality.” 

The Nets organization tended to the details on Carter’s big night. His family was front row for his jersey retirement press conference. The walk-in tunnel, fitted to resemble the New York City subway, had a parallel wall filled with Carter photos. A few feet further down, in an area used for arrivals, there was a red carpet with another wall reading 'Hang Time, Forever.' 

Nets head coach Jordi Fernández walked into his pregame press conference sporting a ‘Vinsanity’ cap and a ‘15’ hoodie. Two former North Carolina Tar Heels in Cam Johnson and Day’Ron Sharpe wore their school’s colors and Carter No. 15. The Nets team warmed up in shirts donning the legendary number alongside an image of Carter and his last name. Fans busted out shirts of their own. Videos honoring Carter’s Nets career played during every timeout.

Fernández, who is also the head coach of Team Canada, reflected on Carter's international impact. Carter played in 403 games for the Raptors before a contentious exit, although the saying ‘time heals all wounds’ seems to apply to his bond with the country.

“He means a lot for the community there, and for basketball in Canada,” Fernández said. “Hockey was the strong sport and now basketball is the biggest sport coming up right now, growing really fast.” 

Carter's jersey retirement in Brooklyn is one of the many honors he has received recently, including being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024 and having his No. 15 retired by the Toronto Raptors this past November. His bond with the Nets organization, however, remains strong. 

Before getting his No. 15 retired, Carter recalled two of his favorite moments with the franchise.

The first one was Jason Kidd attempting to throw him a lob pass on his Nets debut: “I’ll always remember that. Him saying he just wanted to see, test the waters … And I was crazy enough, I told him before … you throw it, I’mma try … I think that set the tone for some great years.” 

Carter was full of praise for Kidd, who now coaches the Dallas Mavericks and whose No. 5 Nets jersey was retired in October 2013. The point guard “wasn’t afraid of any pass” and made the game easier for him. During the second quarter, the Nets dedicated an entire timeout highlight reel to a collection of Kidd-to-Carter lobs.

Then, his dunk on Alonzo Mourning: “I remember, more than anything, after the dunk happened, glancing at the bench, and my college teammate Jeff McInnis acting a fool. [...] I had the mean mug face. It felt so good, but inside, I was laughing.”

Carter's connection with New York City, in general, was on display all week before his Nets jersey retirement. The Empire State Building was lit up in the Nets' red, white and blue, plus featured Carter's now-retired No. 15 rotating on the spire. The Nets also announced a basketball court and gymnasium refurbishment project in East Flatbush that will be called “The Vince Carter Community Gymnasium.” The renovations will include a refurbished basketball court, new backboards and hoops, wall padding, acoustic paneled walls, a scoreboard, new bleachers, a gym divider and a new lighting system, per the team.

"Vince’s impact on the game of basketball extends far beyond his incredible achievements on the court; he has been a true ambassador for the sport and an inspiration to so many, especially here in our community,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said. “This project will be a testament to his legacy, and a space where future generations can come to learn, grow, and dream — just as Vince did when he was first starting out."

As for the Nets' immediate future, Carter shared some insight on Saturday. The franchise and its on-court results, at least for now, look much different to his glory days wearing the Nets colors.

“This the playoffs?” Carter had said, as he walked into the Nets’ press room. He was referring to the packed media presence and drew plenty of laughs, but those postseason days seem distant right now for the Nets’ fans. Brooklyn are 14-32 this season.

“Sometimes, you don’t get the job done, but are they playing hard? Something that you can be proud of?” Carter said. “So just like when you, the person going to work everything … everything I did didn’t work out, but I gave it everything and I’m gonna try it [again] tomorrow, and that’s what I enjoy watching with this team more than anything.”

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