by Who is the most iconic Toronto Raptors player of all time?
When it comes to the greatest of all time, there seems to be consensus surrounding Kyle Lowry. The former point guard isn’t the most talented player in Raptors history, but his body of work over nine seasons with the organization has him atop the organization’s all-time rankings.
But when it comes to the most iconic player in franchise history, the answer appears to be different. For Jamal Shead, Gradey Dick and Ochai Agbaji, the answer is obvious: Vince Carter.
Carter was Toronto’s first superstar and one of the most recognizable and entertaining athletes in the league during his tenure with the Raptors. For the better part of seven seasons, he drew fans from across the country and spread the gospel of basketball from coast to coast.
For four seasons, Carter led the NBA in overall fan voting for the All-Star game. He became synonymous with Raptors basketball thanks to his high-flying theatrics and iconic dunk contest of 2000. Without him, it’s hard to imagine what Raptors basketball would look like in Toronto and across the country.
“The Carter Effect is real. It was Vince who inspired kids in Toronto and Canada, who put a basketball in their hands and inspired them to take flight, as he did so many times in our jersey,” Vice Chairman and President of Toronto Raptors Masai Ujiri said in a press release.
The end of Carter’s tenure left a sour taste in the mouths of Raptors fans. In 2004, Toronto traded him to the New Jersey Nets in what will go down as one of the worst trades in franchise history.
But to the rest of the NBA world, Carter’s legacy will always be associated with Toronto and the Raptors will always be Carter’s team.
