Los Angeles (AFP)
The veteran Vince Carter, 42, has resigned for a year with the Atlanta Hawks and is preparing to play his 22nd season in the NBA, a record of longevity in the League that could appeal to others.
Until now Carter, was part of the "club of 21" with former glories Robert Parish, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Willis and the German Dirk Nowitzki. When he stepped on the Detroit Pistons floor on October 24 for the Hawks' first regular season game, Carter will be the first to do better.
And by 2020, he will also become the first to have had a professional playing career over four decades.
The back, who started his career in 1999 with the Raptors, is the active player with the most games played in the NBA with 1,481 appearances. He is 130 matches of the all-time record set by Parish.
If he will not be able to beat the mark of the former pivot of the Boston Celtics, the regular season with 82 matches, he could instead dislodge the dolphin Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who has 79 games more than him.
Nicknamed "Air Canada" during his years in Toronto because of his explosive play and acrobatic dunks, Carter has been selected eight times in the All-Star Game.
In 2000, he won Olympic gold with the United States in Sydney. During this tournament, his fierce dunk over the French pivot Frédéric Weis had been around the world.
In 21 seasons in Toronto, New Jersey, Orlando, Phoenix, Dallas, Memphis, Sacramento and Atlanta, he compiled 17.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1 interception of average.
Carter, who turns 43 in January, remains an effective replacement, as evidenced by his record of last season where he managed, in 76 appearances for the Hawks, 7.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 goes through match.
© 2019 AFP