There has never been another dunker with the longevity of Vince Carter. Half Man, Half Amazing has been putting on a show for NBA fans since his rookie year in 1998 and continues to soar above the rim at age 41. While VC is remembered for his epic performance in the Slam Dunk Contest at the 2000 NBA All-Star game, the 8-time NBA All-Star has had some vicious slams in his 30s and later.
The oldest player in the NBA has made a living posterizing seven footers, blowing by elite defenders and energizing crowds for 21 years. Each facial is capped off with Carter’s patented “crank it up” celebration as he jogs back down the court. According to Pro Basketball Reference, Carter has thrown it down during a regular season game 24 times since turning 40 years old. The 41-year-old almost has as many dunks this year with the Atlanta Hawks as he did in an entire season with the Memphis Grizzlies at age 38.
“He’s the best old dunker of all-time. Dominique Wilkins wasn’t dunking at 40, Michael Jordan was shooting floaters and Kobe Bryant ripped up his arms and legs,” says Carter’s former teammate Ryan Hollins.
It’s time to take a look back at Vinsanity’s best dunks after the age of 30.
10. Carter posterizes two Cavs.
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Date: February 21, 2010
Team: Orlando Magic
Age: 33
In year 13, Vinsanity was still creating memorable moments like this one. Although he was no longer an All-Star, Vince Carter still had the ability to posterize multiple defenders. Delonte West and Anderson Varejao never had a prayer of stopping VC from dropping the hammer. Carter and the Magic would go on to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2010 where they lost to the Boston Celtics.
9. Ibaka can't block that.
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Date: January 18, 2013
Team: Dallas Mavericks
Age: 35
Carter missed just two games in his last two years in Dallas and became a key player off the bench for Rick Carlisle, Dirk Nowitzki, and the Mavericks. VC has a long history of posterizing big men and he added the 6’10” Serge Ibaka to his list of victims. Kendrick Perkins’s lack of perimeter defense didn’t help Ibaka out here either.
8. Taking Jeremy Lamb to school.
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Date: November 7, 2018
Team: Atlanta Hawks
Age: 41
Crank it up. One of the most underrated parts of Carter’s game is his footwork. The 41-year-old took Hornets guard Jeremy Lamb to school with the spin move and the jam. Carter is on his eighth team and playing in his 21st NBA season and is still making defenders look silly.
7. Hall of Fame connection.
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Date: February 25, 2011
Team: Phoenix Suns
Age: 34
Hall of Famer to future Hall of Famer. Many people forget that Carter got the chance to play 51 games with Hall of Famers Steve Nash and Grant Hill. The backwards slam has always been a Carter specialty and this one was extra special considering it came in Toronto off a half court feed from Nash, who is third in NBA history in assists. The Carter scored over 20 points 10 times in his short stint with the high flying Phoenix Suns.
6. Still flying at 41.
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Date: February 14, 2018
Team: Sacramento Kings
Age: 41
Half Man, Half Amazing. Nobody at age 41 has ever been able to do what Carter did here. Vince’s longevity is one of the most incredible things about his career and he showed out against his former team. Former Sacramento Kings assistant coach Nancy Lieberman has known Carter for 15 years and isn’t surprised by the success he’s had in his 40s, telling us, “The work he does when you don’t see him is what has made him a future Hall of Famer.”
5. Let him do his thing.
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Date: November 28, 2017
Team: Sacramento Kings
Age: 40
Seventeen years after his iconic Slam Dunk Contest performance in Oakland, Carter provided NBA fans with another memorable moment. VC had 10 dunks during his one season with the Kings, according to Pro Basketball Reference, and this one was the best. Nobody even bothered running across half court because all eyes were on one of the greatest dunkers in NBA history rising above the rim at age 40.
4. Sorry, Emeka.
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Date: January 7, 2012
Team: Dallas Mavericks
Age: 34
Poor Emeka Okafor. Vince Carter had a nice run with the Mavericks and it included a few moments like this one. The fully bearded Carter had major bounce at 34 years old and was still dunking over guys like he was 25. Teammate Delonte West got to enjoy this slam after getting dunked on two years earlier in Orlando.
3. A trickier dunker than Jordan.
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Date: February 5, 2008
Team: New Jersey Nets
Age: 31
DJ Mbenga should’ve cleared the runway. The Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, and Richard Jefferson New Jersey Nets provided highlights like this one every night. There was no stopping Carter during his prime in the open court. Three-time NBA champion Bill Cartwright played with Michael Jordan and was an assistant coach during Carter’s days in New Jersey. He says Carter was one of the best players he’s ever been around.
“He is an extraordinarily special, creative and instinctive athlete,” says Cartwright. “He was always a little bit trickier instinctively as a dunker compared to Jordan.”
2. The best in-game dunker.
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Date: December 22, 2014
Team: Memphis Grizzlies
Age: 37
Rudy Gobert is one of the best shot blockers in the league, but that didn’t stop Vince from throwing down a nasty jam over the seven-footer. The 38-year-old dashed by rookie Dante Exum and blew the roof off the FedEx Forum in Memphis. Ryan Hollins played with Vinsanity on the Grizzlies and says he’s never seen a better in game dunker.
“He’s the best old dunker of all-time. Dominique Wilkins wasn’t dunking at 40, Michael Jordan was shooting floaters and Kobe Bryant ripped up his arms and legs,” says Hollins.
1. Historic flush.
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Date: November 21, 2018
Team: Atlanta Hawks
Age: 41
It’s only fitting that Carter would dunk his way into the 25,000 point club. The 41-year-old flushed it with two hands right before time expired against his former team the Toronto Raptors and became the 22nd player in NBA history to score 25,000 or more points. Carter after the game said, “What a way to accomplish it. It’s a special moment and I definitely knew about it.” Carter’s 14 point performance against Toronto was a season high.
