ATLANTA, GA — The Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club has signed guard/forward Vince Carter, it was announced today.
Carter played in 58 games (four starts) last season with Sacramento, where he averaged 5.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 17.7 minutes (.403 FG%, .345 3FG%, .757 FT%).
In 20 NBA seasons with Toronto, New Jersey, Orlando, Phoenix, Dallas, Memphis and Sacramento, Carter possesses career averages of 17.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 31.4 minutes (.437 FG%, .373 3FG%, .799 FT%), appearing in 1405 regular season games (973 starts). In 88 playoff contests (66 starts), he’s averaged 18.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 34.5 minutes (.416 FG%, .338 3FG%, .796 FT%).
Carter was the 1999 NBA Rookie of the Year, has been named All-NBA twice (second team in 2001 and third team in 2000), is an eight-time All-Star and finished in the Top 10 in scoring six times. He won the NBA’s Slam Dunk contest in 2000, also taking home a gold medal that same year as part of the United States Men’s Basketball team in Sydney, Australia.
Originally the fifth overall selection in the 1998 NBA Draft by Golden State, Carter ranks third among active players in games played, fourth in scoring (24,868) and minutes (44,161), fifth in three-pointers made (2,106), sixth in steals (1,463), 14th in assists (4,579) and 15th in rebounds (6,288). He ranks eighth in NBA history in three-pointers made and 22nd in scoring. He is one of seven players in NBA history to complete 20 seasons, and this season will become one of five to play in 21 seasons (joining Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki – also entering his 21st, Robert Parish and former Hawk Kevin Willis).
Carter played three collegiate seasons at North Carolina, where he helped lead the Tar Heels to back-to-back final four appearances (1997, 1998), and was a consensus Second-Team All-American as a junior after posting 15.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals in 38 games (.591 FG%, .411 3FG%, .680 FT%).
Born in Daytona Beach, FL, Carter attended Mainland High School, where he was a 1995 McDonald’s All-American. He will wear No. 15.
