Getty Dwyane Wade and LeBron James after winning a title with the Miami Heat.
Former NBA player, Gilbert Arenas made headlines when he discussed the career of Vince Carter.
“Vince should be on the bench as a coach or in the office giving his input,” said Arenas.
“That’s a roster spot. You have kids who are 27 in (the BIG3) that should be in the NBA. Why are they not in the NBA? It’s not that I don’t like that he’s playing, it’s just that I had to fight from the beginning. You see a guy who is over the hill already and think, ‘I’m better than you.’ But the coach isn’t going to put me in, and you have no reason to still be playing. You’re not playing for anything, but in his mind, he’s playing for the title of most seasons played.”
That statement turned heads for sure. Various headlines this week stated that Arenas suggested Carter should play the role of a player-coach rather than taking up a roster spot.
That wasn’t the case according to Arenas.
“I just thought that he was just coming back for a whole another year for no apparent reason,” Arenas told Landon Buford.
Arenas was a three-time NBA All-Star during his NBA career.
The former Washington Wizards point guard averaged 20.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists during his carer.
Arenas added more depth in his statements on Vince Carter and according to Arenas, it ties into a conversation that he and Miami Heat legend, Dwyane Wade had.
“It was one of those things where I saw Dwyane Wade. He and I talked,” Arenas told Landon Buford.
“He shared with me that he had ‘a couple more years, but I want to give another person a chance. As long as I am there, they are going to just play me and it will take away from the young kids’ development.’ That is the conversation Dwyane Wade and I was having because I told him he’s got one more year in you. He was like: ‘man, at the end of the day I could possibly do this. But I am looking at Vince’s side. It is not like you are going to compete for a championship.”
An eight time NBA All Star, Vince Carter will play his last year in an Atlanta Hawks uniform alongside Trae Young, John Collins, Kevin Huerter and rookies De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish.
Carter seems fine with that and he knows his role in the Hawks’ locker room.
“They say lead by your actions but I’m going to (speak up) to these guys,” Vince Carter told USA Today’s Dan Wolken.
“I want these guys to understand their importance. This is the foundation of what you want to be a part of in a couple years. So, OK, after two weeks maybe we lost four in a row. Are you tired of losing? Let’s fix the problem. Let’s fix our approach. Let’s go a little harder, whatever the case may be, that’s what we’re trying to change, which will hopefully roll over.”
Last season, Carter played in 76 games for the Hawks where he averaged 7.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists. The former Toronto Raptor also shot 41.9 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from downtown.