Off-Season Fun: When Vince Was Awesome

[tsherkin]

This is a 52-minute highlight video of Vince from the 00-01 season.

Was in the top-5 favorite Raptors for fun thread, and it's basically been so long, I'd forgotten a lot of these highlights. Back when he was assertive, dunking and hitting Js... it was actually an insane season from him, overall.

Watch on YouTube

[Duffman100]

I remember this was when I was becoming diehard.

I had grown up in the early 90s era, followed the Knicks, Pacers, Lakers, Bulls, Sonics....
Raps got a team and I was all in on the expansion, not fully understanding the NBA landscape.

By the time we got Vince, I was nearly 100% diehard and watching it happen in real time was truly incredible.

[tsherkin]

I remember this was when I was becoming diehard.

I had grown up in the early 90s era, followed the Knicks, Pacers, Lakers, Bulls, Sonics....
Raps got a team and I was all in on the expansion, not fully understanding the NBA landscape.

By the time we got Vince, I was nearly 100% diehard and watching it happen in real time was truly incredible.

He was pretty special for a couple years there. 00-01 was absolutely his peak, although he was a little more fun to watch in 99-00 because he was shooting fewer jumpers (though he was objectively a better player in 01).

Absolutely wild. And a run to the second round, and nearly the ECFs. That was a super-fun season, with a lot of loveable roleplayers. JYD, Keon Clark, Alvin, Dell, etc. And my perennially favorite moron-thug who rebounded and screened well, Charles Oakley.

Charles Oakley was responsible for the first drinking game I personally invented: every time he makes a stupid pass behind his back and off his own ass out of bounds, I take a shot...

[vini_vidi_vici]

I remember this was when I was becoming diehard.

I had grown up in the early 90s era, followed the Knicks, Pacers, Lakers, Bulls, Sonics....
Raps got a team and I was all in on the expansion, not fully understanding the NBA landscape.

By the time we got Vince, I was nearly 100% diehard and watching it happen in real time was truly incredible.

He was pretty special for a couple years there. 00-01 was absolutely his peak, although he was a little more fun to watch in 99-00 because he was shooting fewer jumpers (though he was objectively a better player in 01).

Absolutely wild. And a run to the second round, and nearly the ECFs. That was a super-fun season, with a lot of loveable roleplayers. JYD, Keon Clark, Alvin, Dell, etc. And my perennially favorite moron-thug who rebounded and screened well, Charles Oakley.

Charles Oakley was responsible for the first drinking game I personally invented: every time he makes a stupid pass behind his back and off his own ass out of bounds, I take a shot...

Congrats on your liver for surviving that period.

[OakleyDokely]

Rookie Vince, before he developed his 3, was something else.

Watch on YouTube

[Westside Gunn]

I remember watching Carter in his rookie year and all the highlights in the sports cable channels and photos in the newspapers. Rod Black was a really good hypeman at that time. Then in his speech after wrapping up the last game of his rookie season he promised they would make it to the playoffs the next year and they certainly did.

That season was dope. Another positive spot for the fan base was Keon Clark and JYD. I hated Muggsy Bogues going away though. Keon was another one of those players you just won't see ever again, skinny AF and played with so much intensity attacking the hoop with no hesitation. That was the flex.

MFs just chuck threes from the logo now

[tsherkin]

Rookie Vince, before he developed his 3, was something else.

Watch on YouTube

Yeah, and in 2000 as well. Just an absolute riot to watch.

Congrats on your liver for surviving that period.

Yeah, it was like watching Army of Darkness and taking a shot every time someone cracked a one-liner. That, incidentally, was the first time I got alcohol poisoning...

[sidsid]

I remember this was when I was becoming diehard.

I had grown up in the early 90s era, followed the Knicks, Pacers, Lakers, Bulls, Sonics....
Raps got a team and I was all in on the expansion, not fully understanding the NBA landscape.

By the time we got Vince, I was nearly 100% diehard and watching it happen in real time was truly incredible.

He was pretty special for a couple years there. 00-01 was absolutely his peak, although he was a little more fun to watch in 99-00 because he was shooting fewer jumpers (though he was objectively a better player in 01).

Absolutely wild. And a run to the second round, and nearly the ECFs. That was a super-fun season, with a lot of loveable roleplayers. JYD, Keon Clark, Alvin, Dell, etc. And my perennially favorite moron-thug who rebounded and screened well, Charles Oakley.

Charles Oakley was responsible for the first drinking game I personally invented: every time he makes a stupid pass behind his back and off his own ass out of bounds, I take a shot...

Congrats on your liver for surviving that period.

Memory plays tricks on you, but one vivid one I have is Oak driving from the corner off of a close-out with his patented penguin walk slap dribble until he gets just up to the paint. Vince below the backboard and his defender in front of the rim and another pair behind them on the weak side, all frozen in amber as Oak stopped his drive.

Picks up his dribble, defenders still not addressing him, then fires a no-look pass to his left straight to Vince's forehead who couldn't have been more than 4 feet away from him.

[TheGeneral99]

1998-2002 was absolutely incredible, just unfortunate how it ended...injuries, whining, terrible attitude and a horrible trade.

[tsherkin]

1998-2002 was absolutely incredible, just unfortunate how it ended...injuries, whining, terrible attitude and a horrible trade.

This is a thread for happy memories, not the bad stuff. "When Vince Was Awesome," remember. Leave the bad parts to the darkness of the past.

Memory plays tricks on you, but one vivid one I have is Oak driving from the corner off of a close-out with his patented penguin walk slap dribble until he gets just up to the paint. Vince below the backboard and his defender in front of the rim and another pair behind them on the weak side, all frozen in amber as Oak stopped his drive.

Picks up his dribble, defenders still not addressing him, then fires a no-look pass to his left straight to Vince's forehead who couldn't have been more than 4 feet away from him.

Hehehe. I can picture that right now. Oh, Oak... Such a dumbass. But a fun, quotable dumbass who set hard screens and was a good rebounder. xD

[JShuttlesworth]

I was in Grade 9 when Vince got traded. It sucked...it sucked big time.

[GIZMO]

Vince was amazing for most of his time here. Very enjoyable to watch!

[deck]

The Vince / Iverson battle in the 2001 playoffs was what got me fully invested in the team. I had been following before that, but without that series, I'm not sure I would have been a die hard through all of the down years that came after.

[Scase]

The vince days are what I am ultra nostalgic about, he was what converted me from a Bulls/MJ fan to a full blown Raps fan. Such a shame how bad the quality of the broadcasts were from back then. Doesnt do his body of work enough justice.

[adubmac]

This was the height of my fandom - even in comparison 2019. I planned my whole life around not missing a game and would debate anyone that tried to dismiss VC as a true superstar.

[Westside Gunn]

Man o man, VC getting traded RIGHT on the last day of school before christmas holidays was a true downer. I think I used a school computer to log on to sportsnet and it had the VC trade on the front page. Then the ride back from school on the bus with the FM radios announcing in between the music. 50 cent's Disco Inferno was on everyones playlist and on the radio. When I got back home I just listened to the fan590 all day and scrolled forums reacting to the trade. It was hilarious hearing these guys and some fans really oversell us on Eric Williams.

My parents got me a Carter jersey during that season before he got traded, sports stores were catching on to the media's anti vc campaign and were clearing out their VC jerseys. I wore it to school a few times and some guy in my class was pulled and I punched him hard cuz jerseys aint cheap.

I am convinced the ownership group at that time put out an anti VC campaign in the newspapers in the media, because fans and everyone became sooo anti VC. I recall a lot of his pictures around the arena were removed before his trade.

This is why getting Colangelo was the turning point for this organization, it has kept the puckheads in the MLSE and other incompetent leaders out of the way.

[TorontoRapsFan]

Someone's gotta upscale these videos

[NeoDragonKnight]

One thing you dont always realize until you watch because you are focused on his on ball creation, is Carter was also outstanding off the ball getting open as well.

[ForeverTFC]

This is the season that put the Raptors ahead of the Leafs for me as a fan, and I've never looked back.

Do kids still have posters? My wall was covered with Vince.

[ForeverTFC]

Man o man, VC getting traded RIGHT on the last day of school before christmas holidays was a true downer. I think I used a school computer to log on to sportsnet and it had the VC trade on the front page. Then the ride back from school on the bus with the FM radios announcing in between the music. 50 cent's Disco Inferno was on everyones playlist and on the radio. When I got back home I just listened to the fan590 all day and scrolled forums reacting to the trade. It was hilarious hearing these guys and some fans really oversell us on Eric Williams.

My parents got me a Carter jersey during that season before he got traded, sports stores were catching on to the media's anti vc campaign and were clearing out their VC jerseys. I wore it to school a few times and some guy in my class was pulled and I punched him hard cuz jerseys aint cheap.

I am convinced the ownership group at that time put out an anti VC campaign in the newspapers in the media, because fans and everyone became sooo anti VC. I recall a lot of his pictures around the arena were removed before his trade.

This is why getting Colangelo was the turning point for this organization, it has kept the puckheads in the MLSE and other incompetent leaders out of the way.

!00% this happened. When Swirsky started trashing Vince while he was on the team, I knew it was over. So distasteful.