Grizzlies’ Vince Carter skies to send back ex-teammate Dirk Nowitzki’s dunk attempt at rim (Video)
When Vince Carter joined the Dallas Mavericks before the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season, many NBA observers believed the veteran swingman to be nearing the end of the line. He was 34 years old, coming off two decent but not star-caliber stints as a member of the supporting cast on Dwight Howard’s Orlando Magic and Steve Nash’s Phoenix Suns, and looking like he’d clearly lost a step from his explosive superstar days with the Toronto Raptors and New Jersey Nets. During this three years in Texas, though, Carter somewhat surprisingly transformed into one of the league’s premier sixth men, a versatile role player at home on a veteran-heavy team who could author a dramatic moment or two.
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The Mavericks, in a sense, saved his career. On Monday night, in his first meeting with the Mavs after signing a three-year, $12.3 million contract to join the Memphis Grizzlies, the 37-year-old Carter had a funny way of saying thank you:
It feels weird enough to see Dirk Nowitzki get his shot blocked — with that 7-foot frame and high release, just 2.6 percent of his field-goal attempts have been sent back over the last five years, including only 1.5 percent (19 blocked attempts in 1,237 total tries) last season. Seeing it twice on one play, though? Including a snuffing at the rim by a guy a year older and six inches shorter who’s not supposed to be able to get up like that anymore? Well, that’s something you don’t see every day, to put it mildly.
Carter might not have appeared “too interested in the proceedings” as his 17th preseason nears its end — he played just under eight minutes, scoring three points and snagging two rebounds as the Grizzlies fell to the Mavs, 108-103 — but he did take a brief trip down memory lane before the contest to appreciate his time in Big D, according to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News:
“I’m just glad I was a part of it,” he said. “Cuban believed in me when a lot of people felt like I was done or couldn’t play anymore. I just got better and better. A lot of guys think at that age, how can you get better. But I think got better.
“I just fit with this team. And I think it worked. Coach (Rick Carlisle) made it work and I was glad to be a part of it. It was fun last year.”
For one moment, at least, Monday wasn’t quite so fun for his big German ex-teammate, though:
Let’s take a greybeard-appropriate slow-motion second look at the at-the-summit stuff, courtesy of friend of BDL Max Frishberg, a.k.a. @MaxaMillion711:
Well, something about it sure seemed flagrant, at least.
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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