Vince Carter

Vince Carter, who was heralded as the second Michael Jordan, was born Vincent Lamar Carter in Daytona Beach, Florida on January 26, 1977. His parents were teachers at local elementary schools in the area. When Vince was growing up, he wasn’t just a basketball player. He played the saxophone in the school band and was a drum major. He accepted a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina, the college that Michael Jordan himself attended. After a few seasons there, he was drafted in the NBA.

Carter is very well known for his dunking skill, something that is a reminder of Michael Jordan. His acrobatic dunks and high flying ability greatly resembles His Airness’s. In his first dunk contest, he and his cousin Tracy McGrady performed an alley-oop that earned him a crucial high score. McGrady lobbed it in the air, and Carter caught it and did a between-the-legs dunk.

For his final turn, he was not sure what to do, so he did a regular dunk, but stuck his whole arm down the net. No one caught it at first, but finally the trick was revealed, and he won the contest.

Carter became an instant sensation. He won the 1998 Rookie of the Year, the Slam Dunk Contest, and was on the U.S. Olympic Team. Besides all of these accomplishments on the court, Vince Carter has made many contributions to the community.

He was a Goodwill Ambassador and donated $10,000 to his Alma Mater. He also created and runs the Embassy of Hope Foundation, organizes All-Star games in the summer, and runs a children’s basketball camp. This proves that he is not only a top-notch athlete, but a generous person.