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Who will be the Orlando Magic’s next Basketball Hall of Fame inductee?

By Ricky Scricca

Jan 20, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins inducts Penny Hardaway into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame during the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 20, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins inducts Penny Hardaway into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame during the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Vince Carter

Although he only spent a season and a half in Orlando, Vince Carter is an undisputed NBA icon.

If you watched basketball in the early and/or mid-2000s, I do not need to explain why.

Carter is arguably the greatest dunker in the history of the game – whether it is in the Slam Dunk Contest, in the regular season, or on the international stage, he gave NBA fans more unforgettable moments every year than most players do in their entire careers.

But his resume is not limited to earth-shattering slams.

Carter’s incredible longevity and his evolution from a superstar reliant on athleticism into a valuable role player on quality teams is worth merit on its own.

One of the league’s true ironmen, he is also currently fifth all-time in made 3-pointers, 24th all-time in points, 17th in total games played, and 22nd in total minutes.

Whenever he does decide to hang it up, a lack of significant postseason success will likely keep the eight-time All-Star from a first-ballot induction. That and the fact that he never finished better than 10th in MVP voting will not do him any favors.

Carter also does not grade as highly on advanced metrics like Player Efficiency Rating and Win Shares as a typical first-ballot Hall of Famer might, either. But the eye test should throw that out the window.

Aside from how exciting he was to watch for NBA fans everywhere, his impact on the game outside of the US was also huge. In 2017, we are getting to witness an entire crop of players who grew up in Toronto watching Carter – Tristan Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Cory Joseph, Nik Stauskas and Kelly Olynyk all have cited him as an inspiration.

The league and the sport would look a lot different without Carter.

Next: For Anfernee Hardaway, Orlando is always home

He probably does not quite have the resume for a first-ballot induction, but his longevity and incredible impact will get him in sooner than later.