AP Photo/Kathy Willens
Atlanta Hawks guard Vince Carter.
- 42-year-old Atlanta Hawks player Vince Carter became the first NBA player to suit up for games in the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s.
- Carter was drafted in 1998 - when LeBron James was entering eighth grade and before Dallas Mavericks' rising star Luka Doncic was even born.
- Carter played his first NBA game with the Toronto Raptors in 1999, and became a league journeyman. He has played for eight teams in total.
- "I'm just very thankful to still be around and compete at this level," he told reporters after receiving a standing ovation at Saturday's game against the Indiana Pacers.
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Vince Carter made history on Saturday night by becoming the first NBA player to play in games spanning across four decades.
Carter, 42, played his first game in 1999, and has since played 22 seasons in the NBA.
When he was drafted in 1998, LeBron James was entering eighth grade, and Dallas Mavericks' rising star Luka Doncic hadn't even been born.
Carter has become journeyman since joining the league, starting on the Toronto Raptors, and playing with seven other teams. He now plays for the Atlanta Hawks.
After Saturday's game against the Indiana Pacers, Carter received a standing ovation from fans celebrating him becoming the first player to suit up for games in the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. He played for 18 minutes on Saturday.
Carter spoke to reporters after the game about a photo he had seen of himself with former Toronto teammate and 1984 Draft pick Hakeem Olajuwon, side-by-side with a photo of his Hawks teammate and 2018 Draft pick Trae Young.
"As much as I talk to people and handshake former friends that are now GMs, coaches, whatever they are, I can say I played against Michael Jordan and now I'm playing [with] Trae Young, and all the stars of today. I'm just very thankful to still be around and compete at this level," he said.
Young, who's half Carter's age at 21 years old, called his teammate's four-decade feat "legendary" in a comment to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
"I'm blessed to be able to share a locker room and have that veteran presence around me. You guys see his locker is always right by mine. It's something I don't take for granted. It's special for me to be able to play with him," he said.
Over the course of his 22 seasons in the NBA, Carter was named Rookie of the Year in 1999, and has long been a fan favorite thanks to his incredible dunks.
He became known internationally when he dunked 7-foot-2 French player Frédéric Weis at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
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Vince Carter has been teammates with both 1984 NBA Draft pick Hakeem Olajuwon and 2018 Draft pick Trae Young 🤯 pic.twitter.com/dmxUGAiYkL
- NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 3, 2020"Damn, four decades?!" - Trae Young
"Shut up" - Vince Carter
😂
Carter on what this milestone means to him: pic.twitter.com/1bgMMRu9hl
- Sarah K. Spencer (@sarah_k_spence) January 5, 2020VC becomes the first player in NBA history to have played in FOUR decades. Congratulations, @mrvincecarter15!#H15TORY #TrueToAtlanta pic.twitter.com/bVWGP73OYp
- Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 5, 2020