Dubious Raptor Moment #13

November 2002: Vince Carter Rehabs Knee at Nelly Concert

Hindsight is a bitch.  You don't have it when you need it, and when you get it, it's too late.   Such is the case of Vince Carter at the Nelly concert.  Early in the 2002-2003 season, Carter was supposed to be at home rehabilitating his surgically repaired knee, when he popped up on stage with Nelly, dancing during the rapper's concert in Toronto.   Meanwhile, the undermanned Raptors were getting blown out in Atlanta by the Hawks.

To this point, sentiment was growing that Carter did not have the heart or desire to lead his team (he was a captain, after all) to the playoffs.   And there were hints—like Carter joking with Kobe Bryant after a loss to the Lakers, and asking Michael Jordan for his phone number during a game against the Bulls—but these events were more curious than conclusive.   For many, however, the Nelly episode finally congealed these random clues into a clear and obvious conclusion: Carter was far more interested in the rewards of NBA stardom, than the responsibilities that came with it.

When finally faced with this assessment, Carter responded to his critics: "Who cares?   If they're not talking about me, that means they forgot about me.  It was a concert.  I went there to enjoy it just like anybody else.   I'm a grown man.  They don't pay my bills.  They don't make decisions for me."

Well VC, at the time, I did care.  And as much as I try to forget, I can't.   You were not like anybody else, and you were certainly not a grown man.  You were a teet-suckling momma's boy who basked in the unearned glow of being appointed the Air Apparent for far too long.   Can you imagine for a second Michael Jordan jumping on stage during the Bull's 72-win season and doing the running man with Color Me Badd?  And sure, you absolutely had the freedom to make your own decisions, but couldn't you have rehabbed your knee like anyone else in the NBA: by staying home, playing XBOX, and smoking weed?   And while I did not pay your bills, the money I spent on Raptor tickets and Carter merchandise eventually made its way into your pockets.  But you should know that my #15 jersey now has a new name embroidered into the back: FRAUD.

Fuck that felt good.

Comments

[rachello]

amen. amen. A-friggin-MEN.
didnt he also hop on stage during the MMVA's one year with uhh, bow-wow was it? and then he did the crip walk. and then he re-injured his knee. it was a shitty crip walk, anyway.

[The Blue Baller]

You're thinking of Kevin O'Neill. He was drunk and shirtless onstage at a Bob Seger concert. Challenged the bass player to a leg-wrasslin' match.

[arsenal]

rachello is on the money...Vince did jump on the stage and dance with bow wow during the MMVA's...Junkard Dog was there to but was dissed by bow wow (glared at) and got of the stage...Vince looked pretty sharp in a cream suit, can't vouch for the crip walk, if he did it, he's a fucking looser. Blue-baller, I can't say I'm dissapointed, you are too good.

[eddiebaseball]

I'd love to see MJ to the running-man with Color Me Badd

[AJ]

And I still defended him at that point. stupid Tin Man.

Heir apparent, not air.

[Larry]

First of all, Carter could have already done his rehabilitation sessions and then gone out to the concert, no?

And second of all, there wouldn't have really been anything wrong with going on stage at the concert and doing a little dance(as long as it was nothing crazy) but he didn't do that.

"No hops for Carter at Nellyville

Contrary to radio reports, injured Raptors superstar Vince Carter did not dance with rapper Nelly and his St. Lunatics crew at the Air Canada Centre Tuesday night.
According to the Star's Raju Mudhar, who reviewed the concert, Carter was only onstage for about a minute.

Carter, recuperating once again from a strained left quadriceps tendon in his knee, autographed the Raptors' Vince Carter jersey Nelly was wearing and threw it into the audience.

Mudhar reports that Carter simply jogged from one side of the stage to another to get the audience's attention, tossed the jersey and then retreated backstage.

Carter, a three-time NBA all-star and 1998-99 rookie of the year, has played in only three of the Raptors' 10 games this season.

The team lost 117-92 in Atlanta last night and is 3-4 without Carter, who missed five games two years ago and 22 games at the end of last season with the same injury."

[The Blue Baller]

And third of all, he could have actually been doing his rehabilitation exercises on stage.

Thanks for the comment Larry, or should I call you Raju Mudhar...

[gw]

Air Apparent refers to his Airness, Air Jordan. Heir apparent would be correct also or otherwise, but here the Air Apparent works.