It was a high point in a down year, seeing Vince Carter getting his No. 15 Nets jersey raised into the rafters at Barclays Center on Saturday.
Typical of the way this season has gone, it happened during a loss to the Heat — a sixth straight defeat. Carter, one of the all-time greats in the Nets’ past, acknowledged the struggles of their present. But he praised the work they’re doing to overcome their woes, and said he hopes to inspire the same way an earlier generation of Nets like Julius Erving and Buck Williams had inspired him.
“When this jersey goes up, I want this to motivate you,” Carter told the crowd of 17,962 at Barclays Center, including enraptured current Nets. “I want you to feel like I can go out there and get it. I got to see it, feel it, and I’ll do anything I can to be the best version of myself.”
Several Nets spoke of being inspired by Carter, both Cam Johnson by the Hall of Famer’s high-flying, higher-scoring style during his playing days and D’Angelo Russell motivated by his presence now.
