ATLANTA — Hawks wingman Vince Carter became the 22nd player in NBA history to score 25,000 points in Atlanta’s 124-108 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.
Carter, an eight-time All-Star playing in his 21st season and 1,423rd career NBA game, notched the milestone bucket in the final second of the game. Against the team for whom he played his first six NBA seasons, Carter slammed home a pass from rookie Kevin Huerter off an offensive rebound. As the crowd at State Farm Arena roared, an emotional Carter gripped the ball after it passed through the rim and closed his eyes.
After an illustrious career as a high-flying scorer who produced some of the most iconic dunks in league history, Carter has reinvented himself during the latter stage of his career as a veteran mentor and stabilizing force in locker rooms.
After the final buzzer, Carter was presented with the game ball, after which he walked to center court and waved to the Atlanta crowd.
The Hawks showed a honorary video on the overhead screen where Carter received congratulations from NBA notables, including Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins, a fellow member of the 25,000-point club.