No not Milt.


This was "supposed" to be a RaptorBlog execlusive, but my close friend begged me to post it somewhere else (RealGM) where he mdoerates.

My cousine offered to take me with him tonight to his company's anniversary celebration, they were having a huge feist, I am not allowed to say where or who my cousine works for. He offered to take me there you know, to just hang out on a Sunday evening (around 11ish, but the whole thing started at like 9) and also his girlfriend couldn't make it and he had an invitation, so he took me. I was so depressed from the game, I really was so close to not going. The weird part, it was on a late sunday night.

Anyways, after a dead-boring first 30 minutes and basicly everyone that was attending was a 50+ year old rich bastard. So I thought I'd go hit on the incredibly hot bartender, even if I didn't stand a chance and despite the fact I have a girlfriend. Guess who just walks in and gets greeted by the President of the industry, it's the one and only, Vince!! he was there with another guy who I don't recognize, and he was surprisingly nice, and humble. I approached him as he was standing by himself surfing through his Blackberry I assume, and I was seriosuly mad about the loss, but he just wasn't much of a jerk or an ass for me to go off on him, not that I can do it anyways, just he was cool about. Plus, this is the first time I meet him.


The following conversation took place, as I recall it:

Me: Hey Vince ..

Vince: hey, what's up

Me: You made me bang my head against the wall today man ..

Vince (Laughs in confusion): Why?

Me: That shot .. are you kidding me? That was a tough one, props for it man, that was a dagger!

Vince: (Laughs) Thanks a lot man

Me: How was the party last night

Vince: It was good

Me: Did you speak to Mo after the game (Laughing)

Vince: Yes, sure.

Me: that was a terrible call though .. wow .. i thought you were going to explain to Javvi

Vince: Well .. it's tough you know, I could be

(Gets interrupted by two fine women who seem to know him peronally, because they mentioned something about Ellen, who is Vince's wife, after two minutes when the women left and people surprisingly were around us but nobody seems to recognize Vince, well except for the two women) ..

Vince (continues): I didn't explain anything to the referee, because if Mo got ejected, it would help my team (smiles), if it was for myself, I'd really tell the ref what happened, but I play for the Nets, not my self, you know what I mean.

Me: Yeah, I kind of know what you mean, by helping your team, although I saw you make an attempt to tell Javvi but coach Frank advised you not to.

Vince: (Laughs and shruggs his shoulders and gives me a wink, but didn't say a thing! The wink made me uncomfortable for a few secs though).

Me: Anyways, how's Richard (Jefferson).

Vince: He's ok, nothing serious.

Me: Hopefully nothing like Tracy though, he just got taken out of the floor on a stretcher .. he seemed to be in severe pain man, like few minutes ago.

Vince: Yeah I saw that, prety sad. (To my shock, he didn't seem to care that much about Tracy being injured).

Me: How come you guys are still in T.O., I thought you'd leave right after the game?

Vince: We're leaving in the morning.

Me: gonna be a tough matchup against the Spurs and Bruce Bowen (Smirk on my face )

Vince: Yeah I know. Not Bruce Bowen, but Duncan, Parker and Manu

Me: Just make sure he doesn't slid his foot under you this time and gets under your skin

Vince: (Shruggs it off like he doesn't know what to say)

Me: Y'all got us today, but trust me, with Chris, Charlie, Mo, Jose, Joey and Hoffa, there are many brighter days awaiting for this city in the future, it's whoever laughs lasts (Winked at him back)

Vince: (Laughs)

(His cell made a noise, I assumed it was a ring tone, but it was just noise, so I decided I'll better take off before I see Lamond and hunt him down, and Vince was called up by someone anyways)

Me: Good luck though .. y'all been on fire.

Vince: Thanks dawg.


And I just walked away, after which my cousine approached me with the following:

"Dude, where were you, we're late. Who's that tall black guy I saw you talking to earlier, your friend"

I smirked at him, and I told him: "Hey, he's anything but my friend" :wink:

And we took off around 12:15ish

dre that was a great story... i dont think i would be able to talk to the dude tonight without maybe kickin him in the nuts for that whole shiznit that went down today but its cool that u got to speak to him

For a minute there I really wanted to start off the convo by saying: "Hey, where was that shot against Philly back in 2001 playoffs", and I was ready to blow up if he robbed the loss in my face in any shape or form, but he was just a cool person, contrary to popular belief.

I suspect Vince is like a lot of people. Some days he's friendly, some days not so much. People like to paint celebrities with broad strokes but they're more like us than we realize. Vince can just jump higher than any of us. Besides the fact that he's one of the best basketball players in the world, he's probably just a regular guy.

lousy luvable vince carter

I STILL HATE HIM!

Should have punched him in the throat.

I wonder if fans in New Jersey are as respectable when he screws up?

Great read Dre, and congrats for taking the high road.

My bottom line with Vince (and McGrady) is: Toronto and the Raptors will be fine, they blew a great chance to be great.

Put him in Springfield, Mass. now! Right next to Milt!

Did you ask Vince if Michelle gave him the permission to come there or did sneak out. ZING! (Yes, I am funny)

Thanks for the recap/story. I'm glad you just had a normal conversation, instead of insulting him and such. Good on ya.

Funny you should bring up the notion of insulting VC... 99% of those who talk smack about him, ie. calling him whiner, quitter, loser, dont have enough balls to say it to his face.

^^exactly... thats so true
wow ur soooo lucky... Man! that was nice of you though.. coz if that was sum stupid fan he probably wouldve said someting diff.. why didnt u get his autograph???? damn man.. u are one lucky guy

Vince is a douch!

I would have gotten drunk and made a scene ! Come on Pansanity! U and ME! 1 on 1! Mano a Wusso! Wha..? U think u're better than me?? Here's a little something i'd like to call PAIN ..and proceed to kick him as hard as i can in the tibia and run desperatly out of the building! hihihihihi

MANO EH MANO! and then kick him in the balls and run away?? Who's the real pussy?


Dre, you lucky guy!! i can just wish that was me man. Good interview though. Its pretty weird how Vince dint pay much attention to T-MACs injury. Maybe he talked to MAC that same day and found out that he's alright now??

Anyway, its good that you dint insult him with the "philly 2001 playoff series game-winning shot" topic. YOUR A CLASS ACT!! lol

Damn. If anyone of us was that rich we would have the hot bartender come talk to us rather than go chop her.

Shouldn't this thread be in another section?

Anyway, he's history to the Raptors. A good player, but I don't see him getting to the level of greatness. It's just so common that many talented players like VC does not have the heart of a champion. A quitter is always a quitter. It's not just his fault, be he doesn't have the drive to straighten the wrong and the will to make things right.

This story would have been 100% more interesting if you said something even remotely negative or derogatory rather than coming off as just another star struck fan.

I can't lie though, I doubt I would have insulted him either. He prob would have called you a jackass and walked away if you had started the convo with that game 7 vs. philly shot comment.

If you pissed him off your friend would probably be fired also. You couldn't let your boy down, I'm sure alot of the old grey hairs probably laugh at him behind his back but kissed his butt to his face.