I'm flooded with mixed emotions now that it's finally happened. The Toronto Raptors have traded Vince Carter to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for center Alonzo Mourning, forward Eric Williams, center/forward Aaron Williams and two conditional first-round draft picks.
It wasn't that long ago that Carter owned this city. He was the rookie of the year, the slam dunk king and the next Michael Jordon. He had us within a 3-point shot of the Eastern Finals and the best was yet to come. He was Air Canada and the best show in town.
I'll never forget the day I spent at the ACC watching him pour in 51. The Raptor victory was broadcast nationally in the USA and the 51 was and still is a Raptor record. There wasn't a basketball fan in this city who didn't think Carter was awesome and only going to get better.
As quickly as he rose to prominence in the big smoke, he plummetted back to the soil at Bay and York. Frequently injured, no longer as consistent and one hell of a whiner, almost everybody wanted him out of town. Personally, I swung up and down on this issue like a yo-yo, wishing he'd stay and return to his form of old one day and wishing we'd trade him and build for the future the next. This season, the writing was on the wall and I knew it was only a matter of time. Now that it's happened, I'm sad to see our perrenial all-star go but I realize it's for the best.
It's time to move on my friends. We have our closure, let the healing begin.
