Comparing Eras Makes Carter Wince!

“One thing I am not a fan of, is the comparison with other players when a new player is drafted. It puts a lot of PRESSURE ON THAT PLAYER to live up to the comparison. It is better to say this kid has flashes of X or Y..,” opines Vince Carter, the oldest player in the National Basketball Association now.

- Srinivasan Ramani

Vince Carter, eight time All-Star, and twice an All-NBA team nominee, is now the oldest player (aged 40) in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Carter is now a free agent after playing for the Memphis Grizzlies in the past three seasons. He spoke to a group of Indian journalists who were invited by the NBA to cover the 2017 finals.

Excerpts:

Question: How do you rate this current Golden State Warriors team (2017 NBA champions)? Are they among the best ever?

Answer:They are a very good team. They have won championships. But what about the Bulls of the 1990s, the Lakers of the 80s and the 2000s, the Celtics etc. The Warriors have Kevin Durant who has averaged 28 points, 50% shooting on both 2 pointers and 3 pointers and Stephen Curry. But they still have a lot more to go to do what LeBron has done over the last few years.

The legends, for e.g. Scottie Pippen, say, “Let it happen. Let this play itself out... Let’s see waht this team achieves in the longer run, before we talk of them being the best team or their players being the best ever and so on.”

The way they are playing is amazing, but they have to do it more consistently like the Bulls did in the 1990s to be considered among the best ever. It is too early to say that now.

You have been an athletic, perennial All-Star player in the league for two decades. You are now the oldest player in the league and were still effective for the Memphis Grizzlies. How have you maintained your consistency and your ability to remain a good player in the league at this age?

It is all about repetition and continuing to work on the game regardless of how many you have played or how established you think you are. I still work on my game, work on my body to get better.