The 38-year-old Vince Carter can still jump really, really high
Memphis Grizzlies wing Vince Carter completed just five dunks in 2014-15, the lowest number of his career by double digits. While such a figure isn’t especially shocking for someone who turns 39 in January, it is notable considering the aerial devastation Carter once inflicted upon the rest of the NBA. If he’s not the best dunker the NBA has ever seen, then he’s at least someone who can have a top-100 dunks video that leaves out plenty of great ones.
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A new photo indicates that VC, now primarily an outside shooter, hasn’t taken the dunking out of his game because he can’t still get up. Carter visited the P3 sports science institute in Santa Barbara and showed that his leaping ability is still very impressive, if not at its peak:
Not bad for a player pushing 40. We feel safe in predicting that Vince will be able to match Michael Jordan’s age-50 dunk in January 2027.
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Carter did have one very impressive dunk last season, moving around a pre-breakthrough Rudy Gobert to finish with his right hand vs. the Utah Jazz in late December. Based on that precedent and this photo, it seems like Carter can leap when he needs to. The problem is that he can’t do it with much frequency. As we recently learned from Blake Griffin, another elite dunker, finishing with authority can lead to fatigue. It’s not a viable option for an aging player who recently worked out with the Grizzlies’ summer league team in order to stay in shape.
Vinsanity still exists. The demands of the job just ensure that it will lie dormant.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
