How the world has changed since Vince Carter's NBA debut

Jordan Greer

How the world has changed since Vince Carter's NBA debut image

"Vinsanity" lives on for one more season.

Vince Carter agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Hawks, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, allowing the 42-year-old to finish his career in Atlanta after averaging 7.4 points and 2.6 rebounds per game during the 2018-19 campaign. Carter will set a new record for most seasons played in NBA history with 22, passing Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Willis and Robert Parish.

MORE: Kyle Lowry "would love to do a long extension" with Raptors

It has been nearly 7,500 days since Carter made his NBA debut on Feb. 5, 1999. He has played 45,491 minutes for eight different teams  — the Raptors, Nets, Magic, Suns, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Kings and Hawks — and filled out a Hall-of-Fame worthy resume along the way.

As much as Carter doesn't appear to age, the world around him has changed drastically since he entered the league as a youngster out of North Carolina.

When Vince Carter made his NBA debut in 1999...

Carter's age: 22 years old (born Jan. 26, 1977)

Carter's team: Toronto Raptors

Carter's points per game that season: 18.3

Leading scorer in NBA: Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers (26.8)

NBA MVP: Karl Malone, Utah Jazz

NBA champion: San Antonio Spurs

Age of Trae Young: Four months old (born Sept. 19, 1998)

Age of Trae Young's father, Rayford: 21 years old (born Nov. 5, 1977)

Super Bowl matchup: Denver Broncos 34, Atlanta Falcons 19

Signature USWNT World Cup moment: Brandi Chastain's game-winning goal and celebration

President of the United States: Bill Clinton

Biggest fear: Y2K ending the world

Richest person in the world: Bill Gates ($90 billion)

Postage for letters within United States: 33 cents

No. 1 song in United States that week: "... Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears

No. 1 movie in United States that week: "She's All That" starring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook

Iconic movie quote: "I see dead people."

Top-rated TV shows of 1998-99: "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" and "ER" 

Top-selling fiction book: "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

Pokemon connection: Trading cards and video games on Game Boy system

When Vince Carter signed with the Hawks in 2019...

Carter's age: 42 years old

Carter's team: Atlanta Hawks

Carter's points per game in previous season: 7.4

Leading scorer in NBA: James Harden, Houston Rockets (36.1)

NBA MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

NBA champion: Toronto Raptors

Age of Trae Young: 20 years old

Age of Trae Young's father, Rayford: 41 years old

Super Bowl matchup: New England Patriots 13, Los Angeles Rams 3

Signature USWNT World Cup moment: Megan Rapinoe's pose and Alex Morgan's tea-sipping celebration

President of the United States: Donald Trump

Biggest fear: Pick one out of a hat

Richest person in the world: Jeff Bezos ($131 billion)

Postage for letters within United States: 55 cents

No. 1 song in United States that week: "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus

No. 1 movie in United States that week: "Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw" starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham

Iconic movie quote: "Avengers... Assemble."

Top-rated TV shows of 2018-19: "The Big Bang Theory" and "NCIS"

Top-selling fiction book: "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens

Pokemon connection: Ryan Reynolds voicing "Detective Pikachu"

Jordan Greer

Jordan Greer Photo

Jordan Greer has been with The Sporting News since 2015. He previously worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He is a graduate of Westminster College and Syracuse University.