Vince Carter is the oldest player in the NBA, and it will remain that way for one last season. According to ESPN, Carter will return for a record 22nd season this year, and will play for the Atlanta Hawks. He plans on retiring after the 2019-2020 season. If Carter makes it to the new year, he will be the first player in NBA history to appear in a game in four different decades, according to Elias Sports Bureau research. Carter was the 1998-99 Rookie of the Year and 2000 slam dunk contest winner. He has scored 25,430 total points over his career with the Toronto Raptors, New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks, and Sacramento Kings.
Carter played 1,481 games and averaged 17.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.0 steals. The Hawks are bringing the veteran back after last season in which he averaged 17.5 minutes, 7.4 points and 2.6 rebounds in 76 games. Carter is widely regarded as one of the best dunkers of all time, but he has never won a championship. His legacy will be placed on the pillar along with Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, and other greats that never won a ring. Carter's final season in the NBA begins when the Hawks play the Pelicans next month for the preseason opener.