Greatest moment in each NBA franchise’s history

Toronto Raptors: Vince Carter in 2000 Slam Dunk Contest

The Toronto Raptors under Masai Ujiri are building towards a team that could possibly take them deep into the NBA Playoffs. As for now, though, the Raptors sit as a team that has just one playoff series victory in the history of the franchise. Subsequently, you have to look elsewhere for great moments. Luckily, Vince Carter didn’t make that a tough search.

Carter’s performance in the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest is monumental on so many levels. For one, it established himself as the type of athlete that doesn’t come around but ever so often, even if he never reached his ceiling overall as a player. Moreover, his performance in the Dunk Contest single-handedly rejuvenated fans in regards to excitement about the NBA; people wanted to tune in and see what Vince Carter could pull off.

For that last reason, this moment was enormous for the Raptors. Even with Carter and Tracy McGrady, it’s safe to say that the majority of the league and fans around the league weren’t buzzing about Toronto before the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest. Then Carter came out and made the most insane dunks look like poetry in Oakland, CA and that changed everything.

Sure, Carter would later spurn the Raptors and essentially quit on them during the season. However, that shouldn’t affect the importance and iconic status of the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest and what it meant for the Raptors and the league as a whole. He created new fans of both and sparked a passion in fans that few events in the history of any franchise could.

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