Vince Carter: Love Him or Hate Him, Get Your Facts Straight

Vince Carter was one of the biggest stars in all of basketball. He burst onto the scene, winning Rookie of the year by a landslide in 1999. He filled a void of excitement in the post-Jordan era. He was one of the unlucky few to be dubbed the next Michael Jordan – talk about setting the bar high. Here is a label that no player can live up to. Any, and all accomplishments made throughout his career would just pale in comparison.

This comparison was mainly given out because of his dunking ability. Michael Jordan is and will always be the greatest player of all time, but Vince took dunking to a whole new level. He could dunk in the open court with his one of a kind style and flair. He dunked on people, as many defenders who appeared in his posters could attest too. Lastly, he could straight up dunk over people.

In the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Carter literally jumped over Frederic Weis, all 7 foot 2 inches of him. He was the center for the France national team. After the game, The French media called it “Le Dunk de la Mort”, which translates to the Dunk of Death. Now I don’t think Frederic Weis died that night, but I am quite sure part of his ego did.

This play will go down in history, not just as the greatest dunk of all time, but as the greatest highlight of all time. If you haven’t seen it, shame on you, and where have you been.  Enjoy pure Vinsanity. 

Tim Duncan: the Ultimate Role Player

The years of Tim Duncan dominating the NBA with his steady play have come and passed. This slow decline is not at all a knock at arguably the best power forward of all time. All players go through this tough transition in the twilight of their careers. Few, if any have done it with more class than Tim Duncan. He has taken a backseat to two younger and more talented players at this point and his team is all the better for it. Let’s take a closer look at Tim Duncan’s transformation from MVP of the entire league, to the ultimate role player.

The trio of stars, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Tim Duncan have led the San Antonio Spurs to the playoffs every year they have been together, won three titles and have made this team a perennial contender. The Spurs are a tough-minded team you can never count out, who go about their business quietly, much like the great Tim Duncan.

They are extremely well-coached by Gregg Popovich. He demands nothing but perfection from his group of savvy veterans. Now, with the departure of Jerry Sloan from the Utah Jazz, he has become the longest tenured coach in the NBA. This is an incredible accomplishment in a league where coaches must take the fall for sub-par performance. This speaks to the winning consistency that these Spurs have had since Tim Duncan was drafted number one overall in the 1997 Draft.