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Vince Carter - Love Of The Game

Carter's career has only just begun. Barring serious injury, he is likely to be playing pro ball a decade or so from now. Whether he ever becomes the NBA's next Michael Jordan, only time will tell. But there can be little doubt that Carter is likely to remain a dominant force in professional basketball for the foreseeable future. As for Carter himself, he seems prepared to face whatever comes his way. As he told Bill Harris of the Toronto Sun, "I'm ready to take on all challenges. I don't care what it is or what people have to say, bring it. You can say what you want, but I'm going to step in and represent who I am and what I can do."

Related Biography: Basketball Player Tracy McGrady

One of Carter's closest friends during his first two seasons in Toronto was his fellow Raptor and distant cousin Tracy McGrady Jr. Carter and McGrady lived in the same Toronto apartment building and spent much of their time off court in each other's company. Over time, however, the warm relationship between the two players chilled somewhat as Carter consistently outpaced McGrady's efforts on the court.

As Carter continued to occupy more and more of the spotlight in Toronto, McGrady began to yearn for some breathing space, hoping that he might develop better on his own. In August 2000 he left the Raptors and signed a lucrative free-agent contract with the Orlando Magic. In announcing his decision to leave the Raptors, McGrady said he wanted to be able carve out his own space somewhere and he hoped that playing for the Magic would afford him that opportunity. McGrady's mother, however, said her son had grown tired of hearing about Carter all the time. Although Carter initially reacted angrily to McGrady's remarks, the two have since patched up their relationship to some degree and look forward to a continuing rivalry between their teams.

McGrady was born in Bartow, Florida, on May 24, 1979. Beginning at the age of five, he participated in a wide variety of sports but had focused largely on basketball by the time he entered high school. He left Auburndale (FL) High School to finish his senior year at Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, North Carolina, and entered the NBA draft immediately after high school. He was drafted in 1977 by the Raptors.

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