On this date back in 2000, Vince Carter electrified a near sellout crowd in Los Angeles with what some have called the greatest alley-oop of all-time.
March 8, 2000, the Raptors rolled into Staples Center to take on the Los Angeles Clippers. Toronto was sporting a six-game winning streak and Carter was flat out balling, boosted by the confidence he had received from his show-stopping performance at the 2000 Slam Dunk contest in Oakland a month earlier.
Vinsanity was averaging 33.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists shooting 52% from the field during the Raps six-game streak.
The world had already since him go off for a career-high afternoon against the Phoenix Suns in Toronto’s first ever game on national television in the U.S. and drain a dramatic buzzer beater over the out-stretched arms of Adrian Griffin to down the Celtics in Boston.
The city of angels wasn’t just expecting a show, they were salivating for one.
The night started off slowly for VC as he went 1-for-8 from the field to start the game. After a Clippers’ 22-8 run, the Raptors found themselves trailing 86-74 in the fourth period with eight minutes left in the game — that’s when Carter knew it was time to take over and that he did.
He opened up by nailing a tough mid-range jumper over Lamar Odom to bring the Clippers’ lead to ten. He followed that up with another jimmy over a flat-footed L.A. defender. By this point Carter had a rhythm, his confidence was oozing and the Clipper crowd started to feel the momentum shift
And then it happened.
As Lamar Odom tried to drive on Kevin Willis, Charles Oakley came over and slapped the ball away — crowd thought it was a foul, the referees did not. As the crowd booed the non-call the play continued, a fast break for the Raptors and Carter was in position for a highlight reel play.
Oakley found former Slam Dunk champion Dee Brown who threw a two-handed over the head pass to Carter who let the ball sit in his right palm and sent in a vicious slam. The Brown pass couldn’t have been thrown worst, Carter turned it into one of his most famous dunks of all time.
The Staples Centre crowd’s boos from the perceived non-call to start the transition attempt quickly turned into cheers. Like he had the ball seconds ago, Carter now had the Clippers crowd in the palm of his hand — perfect timing for his final trick.
Toronto battled back into the game with the road crowd now on their side after Air Canada Carter’s alley-oop finish, but with the game tied at 92, Carter fouled Odom with 1.5 seconds left in the game. Odom stepped to the line nailed both free-throws to give the Clippers a two-point lead and seemingly the game.
Not on Carter’s watch.
After the Raptors’ timeout, McGrady found Carter on one of the easiest in-bound passes you’d see, VC turned around, somehow found himself open and buried a cold-blooded three-pointer as the clock expired. Staples Centre erupted as if a Clipper had hit the shot. The Raptors then mobbed Vince in celebration as they made it now seven straight victories.
Carter finished with a team-high 23 points, 13 of which came in the fourth quarter.
Toronto ended up winning 11 of 12 games in that stretch, its only loss coming against the powerful Sacramento Kings. It was that run, however, that powered the Raptors to their first-ever playoff berth in 2000.
He truly was half man, half amazing.
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