Vince Carter is ageless — a fact that was confirmed when the NBA veteran signed on for his 21st season in the league by inking a one-year deal with the Atlanta Hawks.
The 41-year-old is the oldest player in the NBA and agreed to terms with the Hawks on Thursdayfor a veteran minimum $AUD3.2 million, according to an ESPN report.
The Hawks will become Carter's eighth NBA team after he played for the Sacramento Kings last year.
He's most recognised for his time in Toronto where he helped lead the struggling Raptors franchise into NBA relevance over his six and a half seasons, before moving to New Jersey and joining the Nets.
The eight-time NBA All-Star's longevity in the game formed the crux of much of the reaction on social media to the news he'd be taking to the floor again.
To put his seemingly never-ending career in perspective, he'll be teaming up at the Hawks with young gun Trae Young, who was born three months after Carter was drafted to the Toronto Raptors.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, which is the official stats provider of the NBA, Carter has had 228 different teammates in his career, just six fewer than former journeyman Juwan Howard who played for 19 seasons and eight different teams.
He is also just one of three active stars — along with Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry — to have played in the NBA in the 1990s.
Unsurprisingly, the Twitterverse went wild after hearing Carter would be suiting up again.
Herb Williams was an All-American in 1980. Marvin Bagley was an All-American in 2018. And Vince Carter will have played against them both! Insane and awe-inspiring.
The Hawks finished last in the Eastern Conference last season while Sacramento ended up 12th in the Western Conference.
Carter is yet to win an NBA championship and the odds of him picking up a ring with the Hawks are even slimmer than they were with his most recent franchises.
His decision to not sign with a championship contender was lauded by the majority of social media. A choice that goes against the grain of what most veterans opt for as their careers approach the end.
Vince Carter's last four stops have been Dallas, Memphis, Sacramento and Atlanta. No one can accuse him of ring chasing.
