Terrence Ross wowed the fans in attendance at the All-Star Game in Houston on Saturday night and gave Toronto fans something they haven’t had in a while : credibility.
The Raptors did not have a representative in the All-Star game itself and haven’t had one since Chris Bosh left town. Ross was the first Raptor to take part in All-Star weekend since DeMar DeRozan and so he had the attention of every Raptor fan North of the border.
Ross was clearly the most talented dunker on the night and took home the trophy and the bragging rights as the 2013 NBA Slam Dunk Champion. His victory gives Toronto a little bit of cred around the NBA, another reason for fans to come out and a new name for the team to market around the league.
What Terrence Ross also gave to Raptor fans on Saturday night, besides the obvious thrill of victory, was a history lesson.
Terrence Ross did more than win a dunk contest this weekend, he forced fans to remember the greatest Raptor of all time.
In one of Ross’s better dunks on the night he busted out a vintage Vince Carter purple Raptor jersey.
It was the type of move that could alienate him from certain Raptor fans as Vince, whether rightly or wrongly, is still considered public enemy number one in these parts.
But I think it was a classy move and one that might soften some the fan base towards the polarizing former Raptor.
Ross was paying homage to the greatest era of Raptor basketball and obviously the last great dunk contest the NBA has seen. Why shouldn’t Raptor fans look back on those days and smile? Why shouldn’t we be proud of the history (no matter how short) of this franchise? The history of this franchise, whether we like it or not, is rooted in the years Vince called Toronto home.
He left this city badly, there is no doubt about that. He phoned in his last days as a Raptor and the trade that sent him to New Jersey decimated this franchise, while turning New Jersey into a contender. We had to watch him lead another team to great heights while the walls fell down around us. To make matters worse, every time he came back to Toronto, he seemed to find some new way to stick it to us. Last second three-point shots, alley-oop dunks off in-bounds passes and, of course; a series victory over the Raptors in 2006-07 when we finally made it back to the playoffs.
The guy left us and then came back to burn us over and over again.
But, regardless of the pain and anger fans feel at the way Vince left and haunted us from New Jersey, he was the best talent this city has ever seen.
He was the best player in the NBA for many years, had multiple years as top vote getter for the All-star game, appeared regularly on US television because of his marketability; and he was ours.
While our expansion cousins were busy finding a new home in Memphis, the Toronto Raptors were the toast of the League because of Vince and what he was able to do on the court. He had the fans attention, the leagues attention and the attention of his competition. Toronto was not a fun place to play if you were an opponent.
He put this team on the map.
Maybe just maybe, those days with Vince as top vote getter, playoff contender, dunk champion, selling out buildings all over the league was what saved this franchise from suffering a similar fate as our expansion cousins in Vancouver.
Vince Carter, whether we want to admit it or not, was the most important player ever to put on a Raptors jersey. Fans should now be ready to acknowledge that.
Toronto was a top draw for teams around the NBA. Everyone and their mother wanted to see what Vince would do when the Raptors came to town. His jersey was everywhere; not just in Toronto.
Most importantly, the team competed in the Eastern Conference and gave fans here a reason to show up. Without Vince, all of that success would have disappeared and with it quite possibly the fan base and ticket sales.
He kept this team relevant.
There have been times over the years that I have seen someone wear a Vince Carter jersey to the ACC and I have cringed. Number 15 no longer belongs to him; that’s Amir Johnson’s number. But when I saw Ross reveal his Vince Carter jersey on Saturday night I felt pride.
Suddenly the feelings I had as a fan watching Vince Carter dunk on All-Star weekend, the pride I felt knowing we had the most popular player in the entire league, the excitement I had for a playoff series came flooding back.
Ross paid homage to the greatest era this basketball team has ever seen and maybe it’s time we did the same.
Vince could become a free agent after this season if the Mavericks do not pick up his $3 million option and he would make a solid veteran role player off the bench for this young Toronto team.
Could he return to finish out his career where it began?
And if not, will his jersey ever hang from the rafters of the ACC?
These are questions that only time will tell, but in the meantime maybe we shouldn’t feel so embarrassed about wearing our old Carter Jerseys to the ACC. Maybe we shouldn’t feel so bad applauding the man who made this franchise relevant the next time he returns to the ACC as an opponent.
Terrence Ross’s victory, as exciting as it was, may have also helped build a bridge for Raptors fans to get over the feelings of anger and betrayal towards a man who helped build this franchise.
With the Raptors potentially ready to host the 2016 All-Star game, it might be time to mend fences with the greatest Raptor of all time so that he can be a part of that special weekend.
No matter what the future holds for Vince and the Raptors, one thing is certain. At some point in time, whether we like it or not, Vince deserves to be properly thanked and cheered for everything he did for the Raptors.
The time for forgiveness may be upon us.
Thank you Terrence Ross for thrilling us this weekend and for forcing us to remember where we came from.
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Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald
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