Vince Carter now joins an elite group of 10 players who managed to extend their NBA careers to the ripe old age of 41. 9 players if you take out Nat Hickey, which you really should, because it’s total BS that he was able to check himself into a game while being coach of a team (the Providence Steamrollers) that probably only existed to launder money. Otherwise, there are some good names in the group (Kareem is GOAT don’t @ me) and some iffy ones (I don’t really know who Charles Jones is), but there is one thing they all share: they were all super frickin’ old when they finally hung up their jerseys.
But Vince Carter is not done yet. He’s still got some life left in his aching bones and mangled joints, enough life to score 21 points in direct defiance of Father Time. His matchup with Manu Ginobili is guaranteed to be the oldest in the NBA, and he came out ahead even though he’s a full 6 months older. This is, like, the third time he has proven that he can still really play in the league this season; is it unreasonable to think he might stick around for next year?
So he might retire, he might not, but his hold on the “Oldest recent NBA player” title will be short lived; I don’t think Udonis Haslem will EVER retire. EVER. That dude is immortal for real and the Heat seem to have no desire to get rid of him.