Vince Lamar Carter Jr, a former National Basketball Association (NBA) basketball player and T.V. producer, was born on January 26, 1977, in Daytona Beach, Florida. He is the son of Michelle and Vince Carter Sr, who divorced when he was seven. Carter attended Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he not only excelled in sports but also showed a keen interest in academics. He was a versatile athlete, playing football as a quarterback during his first year until he broke his wrist. His junior year saw him switch to volleyball, where he was named the Volusia County Player of the Year and averaged 24 kills per match. He also led the school basketball team to its first Class 6A state title in 56 years and was named 1995 McDonald’s All-American. Carter graduated from Mainland High School in Daytona Beach in 1995.
Carter then attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he played for the Tar Heels basketball team coached by Dean Smith and Bill Guthridge. During his sophomore and junior seasons, Carter helped the Tar Heels to consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) men’s basketball tournament titles and Final Four appearances. During the 1997-98 season, he averaged 15.6 points per game average and was named second-team All-American, First-Team All-ACC, and the third-annual Coaches ACC All-Defensive Team.
After his junior year, Carter was declared for the 1998 NBA Draft, where he was selected fifth overall by the Golden State (California) State Warriors. He was later traded to the Toronto (Canada) Raptors. Despite being drafted into the NBA, Carter continued his studies at the University of North Carolina, where he graduated with a degree in African American Studies in 2000. While at UNC-Chapel Hill, Carter pledged to Omega Psi Phi Fraternity
During his NBA Career, Carter played for numerous teams, including the Toronto Raptors, New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, and Atlanta Hawks. His NBA accomplishments included being an eight-time NBA All-Star (2000-2007), NBA Rookie of the Year (1999), NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion (2000), and NBA Teammate of the Year (2016). His crowning achievement was winning a gold medal with the United States Men Basketball Team in the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Carter’s impact on the NBA was felt until his retirement after the 2020 NBA Season at the age of 43. In 2022, he became one of the executive producers and stars of Vince’s Places, a T.V. Production. In 2024, Carter was elected to the NBA Basketball Hall of Fame.
Off the court, Carter divorced Ellen Rucker in 2006 after the couple married in 2004. They had one daughter, Kai Michelle Carter. Carter started dating Sondi Carter in 2009, and the couple married sometime later. The couple has two children, Vayle Elizabeth Carter and Vincent Lamar Carter Jr.