May 26- Vince Carter is named the 1999 NBA Rookie of the Year award with 95.8% of the votes
1999- On this date in Sports History, Vince Carter won the 1999 NBA Rookie of the Year award. Carter had a breakout year for the Toronto Raptors and it resulted in him getting 95.8% of the votes for Rookie of the Year. He played his college basketball at North Carolina before being drafted fifth overall in the 1998 NBA draft. He was drafted by the Golden State Warriors but was traded to the Toronto Raptors which is where he began his rookie season. The Raptors had been struggling as they were recently just added as an expansion team. Their first season was the 1995-96 season meaning that Vince Carter joined the team in their fourth year of existence. During the Raptors first three seasons, they had a record of
67-179. Carter entered the league in 1999 which meant his rookie year was shortened by the NBA lockout.
The lockout finally ended in February which meant Vince Carter played his first NBA game on February 5th, 1999. They won their first game over the Boston Celtics and Vince Carter finished his first ever NBA game with 16 points. Carter’s success continued over the course of the year. He ended the season averaging 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.5 blocks a game. The Raptors finished the shortened season with a record of 23-27. Although they didn’t even have a winning record, it was significantly better than the 16-66 record that the Raptors had the previous season. The success that Vince Carter had that season earned him the 1999 NBA Rookie of the Year award with 95.8% of the votes.
Vince Carter and the Raptors continued their 1999 season success into the next season. Carter would go on to average 25 points and become a 2000 NBA All-Star. The Raptors went 45-37 and made their first ever NBA playoffs in franchise history. In 2001, he led the Raptors to their first ever NBA playoffs series win as they advanced past the New York Knicks into the 2nd round. Vince Carter has enjoyed a long NBA career as he is still playing for the Atlanta Hawks. The 22 seasons that he has played are most in NBA history.
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Sources:
“Vince Carter Stats.” Basketball Reference , Basketball Reference