Raptors unveil Vince Carter’s No. 15 jersey will be retired on Nov. 2

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Vince Carter held court back in Toronto on Friday afternoon, a day when Vinsanity reached a new level.

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There was pomp and ceremony, police, security, politicians and hundreds of kids lining the refurbished playing surface that Carter once unveiled some two decades ago when he was the face of the Raptors.

A former teammate, Alvin Williams, took centre court on Friday to share his thoughts on the Carter legacy, recounting a game against the host Los Angeles Clippers, specifically a late-game sequence that should have featured Carter with the ball in his hands.

Instead, Williams decided to take the shot, only to have it blocked as he fell out of bounds.

Later, in a hushed locker room, a compassionate Carter took Williams aside and encouraged the journeyman to always be aggressive on the court.

Many stories of Carter were retold at Friday’s gathering, memories evoked, and speeches of appreciation from the likes of Raptors chairman Masai Ujiri who, as he often does, hit all the right chords when he addressed the adoring crowd that came out to get a glimpse of Carter.

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The days of playing above the rim are in the past for Carter, who had his family on hand.

Way back when his charitable foundation helped kick-start the initiative at Dixon Park, it served as welcoming place for local kids in the city’s northwest to hone their hoops skills.

When Carter first unveiled the court, there were only a handful of reporters on hand and even fewer camera crews.

Friday’s unveiling was more akin to a Hollywood premier given the hyped-up sense of anticipation whenever a black SUV arrived.

Once Carter appeared out of his vehicle, chants of his name began to resonate.

Fans dressed in his North Carolina jersey could be spotted as well as some wearing Carter’s vintage Raptors purple.It became a love-fest for Carter, the beginning of a series of events the Raptors have planned to honor the man who put the team on the NBA map and will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

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For many, the image of Carter throwing in the towel — and hastening his trade out of Toronto — will never be forgotten. Similarly, it must also never be forgotten how the franchise had a lot to do with Carter’s self-entitlement because it coddled him and, as result, he was able to get away with virtually anything.

No player in the team’s history has attracted so much attention — and been as polarizing — as Carter.

Time, though, does heal all wounds and Carter has grown to be a family man who speaks from the heart and who exposed his heart when he broke down when Ujiri announced that his No. 15 jersey would be retired. It’s been rumored for a week, but on Friday it was made official.

For Carter, Friday’s occasion represented a full-circle moment. The weather co-operated, lending to an uplifting day that tugged at many heart strings.

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Virtually every current Raptors player, save for Scottie Barnes, was in attendance.

When Carter spoke, his words were both genuine and sincere. At one point, he turned to the left where the current generation of Raptor players were sitting, and reminded them of what it means to represent not only Toronto but also a country.

The official ribbon ceremony of the Vince Carter Court’s re-opening would make way for a kids pickup game, part of the $1-million refurbishment of Dixon Park, which was funded by MLSE’s charitable arm and supported by Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart program.

Those around long enough will remember how the court began to slowly decay once Carter left the Raptors. In many ways, the deterioration served as metaphor for a Raptors franchise that was in decline.

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Those days are long gone, replaced by Friday’s joyous atmosphere as the city and its NBA franchise paid their proper respects to Carter.

No Toronto athlete in any pro sport was as entertaining as Carter, an electric player whose dunks remain etched in history.

His slam dunk title during all-star weekend in Oakland will also be honored this season.

The franchise’s first truly great player will justifiably and rightfully be the first to have his number hanging from the rafters on Nov. 2 during halftime of the team’s game versus the Sacramento Kings, one of the many teams Carter played for, a team featuring ex-Raptor DeMar DeRozan and former Raptors head coach Jay Triano.

Welcome back Carter seemed only fitting.

In ways that can’t properly be quantified, Carter never left.

It’s time his detractors finally put any festering ill will into the trash where they belong.

fzicarelli@postmedia.com

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