Sports

A Frame-By-Frame Breakdown of Vince Carter's Dunk of Death

15 years to the day.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

During the preliminary rounds of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, the United States Men's team faced off against France. The only notable player on France's team was Frederic Weis, a 7-foot-2 center who the New York Knicks drafted with the 15th pick the year prior. The Knicks wanted to replace Patrick Ewing so bad they passed on native son Ron Artest to take a center with bad knees. Artest was taken by the Chicago Bulls with the very next pick. I cried that day...but I digress.

Since they were playing on the other side of the globe, most of America caught the play the next day during SportsCenter. While picking the crust out of my eyes, I saw a man fly. Weis apparently felt the same way, telling ESPN, "I learned people can fly." Fifteen years later, Vince Carter scaling Frederic Weis is still the greatest in-game dunk in basketball's 124-year history. To celebrate such a monumental occasion, we put together a screenshot breakdown of Gary Payton's missed layup that led to Vince Carter jumping over a human.

This Is All Gary Payton's Fault

Advertisement

Kevin Garnett vs. Fred Weis

This Is Why Fred Never Played in the L

Advertisement

No. 8 Is A Dummy

What

Advertisement

Are

You Doing?

Advertisement

Vince Is A Blur

The Greatest Steal Since Bird in '87

Advertisement

Wait A Minute Vince

Advertisement

WAIT ONE GODDAMN MINUTE

Frédéric Weis, France national team center 2000-07: "I don't remember anything. I had my eyes closed [laughs]. I wouldn't move, for sure."

Vince Carter: "[Weis] never stepped up to me for me to pull up. He was just kind of just waiting there. So in my mind, I figured, "If I get up in the air before you jump, you don't have a shot in hell to stop me." And he stood there. I just remember putting my hand on his shoulder and going up."

[Source]

Nah. No. Nope.

Advertisement

What?

IDK WHAT? HOW?

Rudy Tomjanovich: "I was standing right there in the coach's box when [Vince] took off and exploded over the guy. And I was sort of in awe for a second. I turned, and Jason Kidd was right next to me, and he was yelling: 'We were here! We were here! We saw this!' I was still, like, 'That didn't really happen.'"

[Source]

Advertisement

DID DIS DUDE JUST DID DIS?

Advertisement

Super Saiyan Vinsanity

Vince Carter, from the middle of the action: "I'm on another planet at that moment. And I'm not even sure who everyone else was or where they were. When I look back on it, I always laugh to myself because I was relieved I didn't embarrass myself."

[Source]

Punches the Big Ticket in the Face

Advertisement

KG DGAF THO

Fred Stares Aimlessly Into the Abyss

Frédéric Weis: "I had no idea about it. The only thing I remember was [teammate] Mou [Moustapha] Sonko was screaming from the bench like it was me dunking. He was raising his arms like it was us scoring. But it wasn't me doing the dunk. I was on the receiving end."

[Source]

Advertisement

Vince Wit Da Flex

Shit Just Got Ugly, Doggy

Advertisement

Pretty Sure Fred Wants to Murder Him

Frédéric Weis: "It was great. But at the end of the day, it was just two points."

[Source]

Advertisement

My Man Tried to Take His Shirt Off!

If you look closely there is a man in red and white striped shirt losing his rabid mind.

Stay ahead on Exclusives

Download the Complex App