What did the demigod Carter and Kobe Iverson say?

In the earlier All-Star Game, Lavin and Gordon's PK were hailed as the most brilliant dunk contest in history, and some even said that Lavin surpassed Carter. Maybe it was not until this time that we discovered that Carter seemed to have been forgotten by us. ...

He was walking alone in the late autumn evening, wearing a navy hoodie with a wrinkled face and Shimada Hanzo in it. Walking in the player parking lot of FedEx Arena in Memphis, he believes that he still has the ability to turn the clock of time and fly over the basket again, even if there is only one game, only one moment.

Three hours before the start of the game against the Spurs in June+February, 5438, the 6-foot-6-inch shooting guard with a gray beard walked into the field. He nodded and smiled at the security guards and tour guides, still charming, and then walked into the grizzly bear locker room. As usual, he was the first to come.

/kloc-at the age of 0/8, he will put on his warm-up suit, pick up the ball and walk into the stadium. The seats on the sidelines were still empty, and he began to practice jump shots. One by one, the sound of clapping echoed over the empty arena. He threw the ball 250 times and hit about 75%.

Vincent carter is 38 years old, but when he shoots alone on the court, he seems to be himself. He broke through his imaginary opponent and glided into the air. He can score easily from 30 feet away. His rhythm is great, just like dancing on the court. Rhythm and melody are familiar to him since he was a child.

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There are two caddies training with Carter, and they have also seen the "demigod" style. He once jumped 7 feet 2 inches in the Olympic Games, and averaged more than 20 points per game in 10 season. He was selected to the All-Star Team eight times and the All-Team Team twice.

Carter has been in good shape recently. At the end of the first quarter of the game against the Hawks on June 28 last year, Carter shot a long shot of 6 1 foot, which is the longest hit shot at home by the Grizzlies in the past six years. 1October 30th, 165438+, he flew to khoris Thompson of 76ers, and almost violently dismantled the basket. Of course, he only got these two points in that game.

Now, after 45 minutes of pre-match training, he has returned to the locker room to prepare for the game against the Spurs. His locker is between mike conley and Jamie Green. At this point, other players have also come in.

Carter is going through the most difficult season of his career. Grizzlies 19 games ago, he didn't get a chance to play in 1 1 games. By June 65438+February, he averaged only 4.6 points per game, the lowest in his career, with only 0.5 assists and a shooting percentage of 36. 1%.

Then why did he start training two hours before the game and give his teammates a glowing high-five when they entered the locker room? This may be a trivial matter, but it is an important reason to maintain Carter's career and make him want to continue playing.

"I respect basketball, so if I have a bad attitude, I will leave." Carter said, "I can still contribute. I know I can. " Like Kobe, he knows when to leave, but I haven't arrived yet. Even if I teach a rookie to adapt to life in the NBA, I feel I can play a role. "

"It's hard not to hit the ball, but I'm not going to leave yet. Not yet. In my heart, I can still jump so high that my head is far beyond the basket. The old Vince still exists. " He said.

* * * *

Carter can only play 13.7 minutes per game this season. In Grizzlies' first 54 games, he scored in double figures only six times. Soon someone will ask: Should he be elected to the Hall of Fame?

Carter scored 23,734 points in his career, ranking 25th in the history scoring list. Among them, 16 players were selected into the Hall of Fame, and six active players-Kobe Bryant, Nowitzki, Garnett, Pierce, Duncan and ray allen-were selected into the future. There are two others, O 'Neill and Iverson, who will be selected soon.

"I believe Vince is definitely a Hall of Fame star," said Coach butch carter, his Raptors coach. "You should choose him just by looking at the data, and his achievements are not limited to the data. He inspired a generation of young people to love basketball. "

Indeed, when you walk into the locker room of any team, you will always hear a lot of anecdotes about Carter and understand how his fearless impact on the basket infected many teammates who are not yet 27 years old. For example, in the Warriors locker room, Carter, as the predecessor of North Carolina, is a mysterious legend.

"I watched my father grow up in the Raptors versus Vince. Vince taught me too many professional things. " Curry, 27, said. His father Delcurry played for the Raptors from 1999 to 2002.

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"Vince is always willing to spend time with me. He never lets me win any one-on-one hit, but all I remember now is that he told me what the NBA is like, how hard NBA players should work, how to push themselves every day, and how professional players should make time for fans. He has a great influence on me, and every game he plays has countless highlights. He is a demigod, making basketball a sport that cannot be missed in Canada. " Curry said.

Harrison barnes, 23, said, "Vince is one of the important reasons why I joined North Carolina. He is really versatile. I like him very much since I was a child. His strength and influence are what I want to learn. He can do things that most people dare not think about, and dunk in front of big men at will. You see him in every game, and you don't know what he will do next. Now there is no such person in the league. "

Luke Walton, the acting coach of the Warriors for half a season, also said, "Vince is the best dunker of our time. His athletic ability is too strong. Remember when he was playing in North Carolina, he detained my brother (Nate Wharton, studying at Princeton University). When Vince was in the air, he was almost 65,438+0.5 feet taller than my 6' 7 "brother.

"After the game, my brother called me and let me see the sports center, because he knew that this dunk would definitely be in the highlights. At that time, Vince could be on this show every night, really every night. "

* * * *

He tied the red shoelaces of 16 yards high heels, and the game against the Spurs will begin in an hour. He sat in the dressing room, staring ahead and looking at the whole room with brown eyes. He looks at his teammates like a doctor looks at a patient. He is asking himself: Who needs to be inspired tonight? Who should listen to jokes? Who should know what the spurs' weakness is?

"As a player, I can say something that the coach can't say, because I can feel the feelings of the players. The coaching staff also gave me a lot of freedom to express myself, so I can do this. " He said.

Carter has been helping rookie forward jarell martin, who is not in the activation list of this game. But in the dressing room, Carter told the 2 1 year-old young man to pay attention to Duncan's comprehensiveness and imagine the feeling of confronting him on the court.

"Vince has been guiding me, and I am grateful to him." Martin said, "He will take me to dinner and tell me what life is like in the NBA. My friends and I have admired him since childhood. I still remember watching the Olympics at home and witnessing him leap over the French center. I wanted to be Vince since I was a child, so I would listen carefully when he spoke. "

* * * *

His first dunk was in Daytona Beach, Florida, his hometown. 12 years old, only in the sixth grade, 5 feet 5 inches tall. He is the student patrol captain of Daytona South Primary School and often plays basketball with senior students. Students often provoke him to prove that he can dunk.

"No one thought I could do it, so I gradually stopped being afraid of what would happen, but I also had to smash in front of them. That fearlessness has not disappeared since then. " Carter said.

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The story of Carter's dunk soon spread throughout Daytona, and then Florida. When Carter entered high school, he was the one who could arouse the audience's curiosity most. Before each game, scalpers sell tickets at a price of $65,438+000. Many students can't afford tickets, so they spend $3 to sit in the school cafeteria and watch live TV.

When Vince flies to the basket, it feels like he is on an ascending elevator, rising to a place that no one can touch. Coach Charles Brinckerhoff, coach of Carter High School, said, "He always has a big smile on his face because he knows that he can do things that others can't. It's natural for him to be a star here. "

Carter's most savage dunks are all in training. Point guard Joe Giddens, a teammate of Carter in high school, is still a good friend of Carter. Giddens also said: "He dunks, and sometimes his elbow even exceeds the basket after jumping up."

"God gave him such a bounce, and Vince himself knows that every time he mentions it, he seems very shy. I don't think he can really understand it. He trains very hard and constantly strengthens his leg strength in order to improve his jumping, but his flying ability is really natural. "

In the summer of 2000, Giddens and his mother lived in his hometown. Carter called him from Sydney. "You want to see the sports center." Carter said this.

"Why?" Giddens Ko asked.

"You will know when you read it." Carter said.

Then Giddens looked at ESPN, and then he saw Carter fly like a rocket over the 7-foot-2 French center Frederic Weiss. Everyone was shocked, even the French players applauded him.

"My screams may have spread all over the block." Giddens recalled, "It was really the best dunk in the history of basketball."

/kloc-Today, 0/6 years later, Carter answers the question about that dunk almost once a week, and his answer is the same. He will smile and shrug his shoulders as if he doesn't know what's going on, and then he will tell you that flying feels good.

"It was a special moment, and I have never repeated it again." Carter said.

* * * *

The game against the Spurs is about to begin, and Carter is the only player who shakes hands with referee Ron Garriston. He saw Duncan again, and then they embraced like old friends.

Carter stood on the court with other grizzly bear substitutes at the pre-match ceremony. Whenever he reads the name of a starter, Carter will go forward and give him a high five. Carter jumped up and down throughout the ceremony. He felt the energy of the audience and hoped to hear the inner basketball melody.

Before the jump ball, the substitute had to return to the bench and sit down. Carter didn't sit down. He followed starting point guard Conley on the court and whispered a few words in his ear until the referee signaled him to leave.

"I played in the league for nine years, but Vince is still my mentor." Conley said, "He observed things that most people can't perceive, some small things, such as how we should face an opponent and attack well." Most players in our team have admired Vince since childhood, so now everyone respects him. He has the strength of a superstar, and occasionally you can see his epiphany. The abnormal talent and jumping ability are really special. "

The question is: Will the former Vince show up tonight?

* * * *

One afternoon in early autumn, Carter stood in the hall of starks Conservatory of Music in Memphis. 1 1 A high school student was singing Duke Ellington's "If You Don't Have That Swing", and Carter stood among them and danced to the rhythm.

Carter is here to participate in this after-school music activity. After the music stopped, a student told him what was bothering him. Carter told him: "Life will always encounter difficulties. When you are in trouble, you can always relax yourself in music, which is what I have always done. Music is my refuge. "

Carter began to learn saxophone in the fifth grade. His ex-stepfather, Harry Robinson, is a high school bandleader. Robinson has a keen sense of hearing and can find a tune out of tune in a 200-member orchestra. He also cultivated Carter's love for music. They used to watch high school football games together, not the game, but the band's performance at halftime. In the summer vacation, Carter not only participated in the basketball summer camp, but also participated in the music summer camp.

In senior three, Carter became the drummer of the school marching band, and he needed to coordinate the movements of the whole band. The band didn't use loose-leaf music when performing, and everyone looked at Carter's conductor. In addition, Carter also composed music for the school's welcome song.

"The audience watching the game likes to watch the game and also likes Vince's performance. He really knows how to perform. " Giddens Ko said.

"Music is very important to my basketball career." Carter said. He once won a music scholarship from Cookman University in Besan. "I always want to find the perfect melody and rhythm on the court. I was also playing my own music during the game. "

"Music is similar to playing basketball in that the rhythm is very important," butch carter said. "Many people who like listening to music can find the rhythm well, but few people can feel it as keenly as Vince. A great dancer can feel music, and Vince is a great dancer on the basketball court. "

At his home in Memphis, Carter set up a music studio. Last autumn and winter, whenever he sat on the bench for 48 minutes, he would immerse himself in the music room, create new melodies and forget his real troubles.

"That music room is a channel for Vince to release himself," Giddens said. "Musically, Vince's performance is as natural as on the court. Without music, he wouldn't be that player. "

* * * *

Carter sat on the bench for eight minutes before the first game against the Spurs. There are 3 minutes and 55 seconds left in the game, and the game is suspended. Grizzlies 15- 10 lead. Carter went straight to Mark Gasol and told him that he needed more stops in the penalty area, more balls and more Duncan. "The score is right there waiting for you to get it."

At this time, Carter's job is to be a player and coach. After the game resumed, Gasol really ran to the penalty area, caught the ball behind Duncan, turned around and hit a jumper. Grizzlies coach Dave Jorge then smiled and said to Carter, "You are going to take over my job."

Carter didn't get a chance to play in the first half.

* * * *

Butch carter still remembers that dunk. At that moment, he knew that Carter would change the history of Canadian basketball.

"This is our first performance at the Air Canada Center in Toronto," he said. "Vince and the point guard picked up the ball and rolled it and rushed to the basket. The point guard threw the ball high. Vince's dunk scared Bryant Reeves directly. After that, he may have changed. "

In Carter's rookie season, every home game in Toronto, whenever the Raptors came near the penalty line, fans who used to watch ice hockey began to make noise because they didn't know what would happen next. They only know Carter's flight route. In this year, the whole city began to be keen on playing basketball, and Carter also set himself a goal.

"If Vince hadn't played for the Raptors, the NBA might not have a team in Canada now." Butch carter said, "At that time, even if the fans didn't know the ball, they were eager to see what Vince would do next. Vince is also open to fans. He was the first NBA player to hold a basketball camp in Canada. It was difficult for the Vancouver team to take root before, mainly because there was no star like Vince to promote the game. "

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By the time he played for four years, Carter's 15 jersey was already one of the best-selling jerseys in North America. As soon as he appears in Toronto, he will be sought after like ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky. Carter and Giddens were visiting a local supermarket one afternoon. When someone recognized Carter, more than 65,438+000 fans quickly gathered around him, waiting to take photos and sign autographs with him.

"The fans blocked our car in the parking lot and we had to call the police to leave." Giddens said, "Vince's popularity in Canada is gone."

One of the fans who admire Carter most is tristan thompson, 12 years old, a native of Toronto. Thompson attended Carter's training camp. On countless Sunday afternoons, he bought tickets for 15 dollars from his father to see the wonderful performances of demigods and demigods.

Thompson wasn't the only one who admired Carter in the first show. During Carter's reign, Kelly Olinic, Anthony Bennett and andrew wiggins all fell in love with him.

"His performance in the dunk contest and the Raptors competition ... I have seen countless such classics since I was a child." Wiggins said, "These classics also inspire me to continue to make progress, hoping to have a successful career like him."

"In Canada, as long as you talk to people who know basketball, they will say that there are NBA teams in Toronto because of Vince." Stephen Curry said: "His performance in every game made people know about basketball. His incredible performance conquered the audience. In this regard, the NBA really thanks him. "

* * * *

With 3 minutes and 30 seconds left in the third quarter, Carter got up from the bench, took off his warm-up suit and ran to the technical platform. Grizzlies trailed 49-65. When the front row fans saw that Carter was ready to play, he shouted: "We need the classic Vince to play! Vince, come on! "

Carter replaced Zach Randolph, and the audience burst into thunderous cheers, and the atmosphere immediately warmed up. That's why Carter didn't retire. He also wants to experience such a moment. 17000 The audience stood up for him and pinned their hopes on him. When he was young, Carter once broke through the air limit of basketball. Now, he hopes to play the shadow of the past.

Carter ran on the court, with only young teammates on the offensive end and shouting pick-and-roll instructions on the defensive end. Two minutes later, he caught the ball at the top of the arc and stood 25 feet from the basket. This is his textbook lens, but the result is iron.

His magic disappeared and Carter finished the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, he played against boris diaw, who weighed 30 Jin, and knocked Carter to the ground twice.

When the game ended in 4 minutes and 24 seconds and Grizzlies 19 fell behind, coach Jorge replaced Carter and put Lars Smith on the court. Carter scolded himself and then sat back on the bench. His performance time was over.

He covered his head with a towel and stared at the court for several minutes. His data table is: playing 1 1 min, 0 min 1 rebounding 1 assists 1 steals. That night, he didn't hear music.

* * * *

Before the start of the season, Jorge had a heart-to-heart talk with Carter in the office. He told Carter, who averaged 16.5 minutes last season, that his performance opportunities would be further reduced in the new season. He stressed that Carter needs to reserve his strength for the playoffs, and by that time, the team will rely more on his experience.

But Carter collapsed. After the speech, he went bowling.

"This is also an outlet for me. My highest score is 265. " He said.

Later, in the music room, Carter's mood calmed down. However, in the next few days, he studied the videos of Ginobili and Vinnie Johnson to find out how they remained efficient as substitutes and affected the results of the game.

"I have played many roles in my career and I have accepted them." Carter said, "I can play for so long because I am willing to listen to the coach and do what he thinks is best." I am willing to do this because I still love this sport. If you can play in the league for 20 years, it will be nice to play alongside great players like robert parish, kevin garnett and kevin willis. "

"But the difference between us is that I am a winger. It is difficult to play in this position for 20 years, but I am willing to try. " He said.

How hard is it? At present, the only defender who can do this is Kobe Bryant. After the 20th season, Kobe will also retire. If Carter wants to play for 20 years, he has to play for another two years. There are 14 players whose career has exceeded 19 in history, among which only Kobe, stockton and Kidd are defenders.

* * * *

After losing to the Spurs, Carter sat in front of the locker and looked like he was going to cry.

"This is the torment and test of NBA life." He said, "This feeling is really hard. I feel almost found the rhythm and comfort zone, but I just can't get in. I will learn from my experience and try to play better. I can't wait to play tomorrow's game. People like Kobe know when to retire, but I don't want to retire yet. I am still eager for the next game. "

Carter stood up and put on a dark blue hoodie. He hugged a teammate, said nothing, took out a bottle of drink from the refrigerator and walked out of the locker room. He waved goodbye to the security guard in the players' lane and then walked to the parking lot.

He walked out of the arena alone and disappeared into the cold night in the south.

Author: Kewell

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