Who is Vince Carter’s son? All about the family as NBA legend gets emotional during Nets Jersey retirement ceremony

During the January 25 game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Miami Heat, the team retired Vince Carter’s jersey. At the ceremony, the Nets legend was joined by his family, including his seven-year-old son Vince Carter Jr. Like his father, Junior has also displayed his interest in pursuing basketball as a career. The ceremony can be watched here.

During an episode of The VC Show With Vince Carter that broadcast on March 16, 2023, the NBA Legend talked about how his son verbally committed to UNC like him. You can listen to the episode here.

(Via @libaanstar1 on X)

In 2023, Carter watched a game between Duke and UNC with his son. A UNC alumnus himself, Carter recalled during his podcast how his son (then five-year-old) was invited by the team on the court. Vince Jr., who was initially hesitant, ultimately told his father about being “ready to sign up” for UNC.

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Vince Carter Jr made a verbal commitment to his father to join UNC

Carter and his son sat at the courtside when the team invited the young man to shoot. Vince Jr was donning his Carter jersey when he made some shots and was cheered on by the crowd. The eight-time NBA All-Star told his co-host while recalling,

"They asked little man if he wanted to go shoot. He was like, no. He was terrified. Ros when I say he was terrified, I am talking about shaking in his boots. I said, ‘no. I’m gonna go out there with you.’ He's like, no, no, that's okay.’”

Displaying his enthusiasm further added,

“He does have the Carter jersey on that he wanted. So he started to shoot, and he's missing, and I'm booing and I'm like, 'Make a Shot, Boo! Make a shot.’ and he's like, 'Oh my God.’ As he knocks down, all these people start cheering. So it was like, it was just like a weird moment for me to watch, and then all of a sudden, maybe it was random, maybe it wasn't. The band started playing."

Vince concluded,

“He's looking at the band and says, 'Dad, I am ready to sign up for the team.’”

It was not the first time viewers saw the love between the father-son duo. In November 2024, when Vince Carter’s Toronto Raptors jersey was retired, Junior joined him on the stage. Carter and his son embraced while the NBA legend held his tears.

Vince Carter, a successful NBA icon, is a father of three

His NBA exploits aside, Carter is a father of three children, including Vince Jr. The Olympic Gold medallist, previously married to Ellen Rucker, shared his first daughter Kai Michelle Carter with her. Following their divorce, Rucker married the Democratic politician Bakari Sellers in 2015.

Vince’s second and current wife is Sondi Carter, a certified fitness trainer from the NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine). The couple has raised two kids together – son Vince Jr and daughter Vayle. Apart from that, Carter and his family have kept their personal lives quite private.

On January 25, all of his kids, alongside his second wife, and his mother, were also present with Carter at the retirement ceremony of his Nets jersey.

Vinsanity shares an emotional speech as the Nets retire his jersey

On the night of his Nets jersey’s retirement, Carter delivered an emotional speech about his 22-season-long career, his favorite moments with the team, and more. He thanked and acknowledged many names throughout his address, including Jason Kidd, Sean Marks, and many more. Vince Carter, who almost welled up with tears before coming to the podium,

“It's a lot of history up there. I remember the first day I walked here for some reason, my eyes were always drawn to ‘52’, ‘32,’ ‘25,’ ‘3,’ but I never realised why?”

Showcasing his respect for other Nets legends, Cater added,

“To be the seventh person to go up is insane, particularly beside you [Julius Erving], somebody I admire and I appreciate as one of the greatest.”

As Carter explained, his jersey is seventh on the list of ones that the Nets have retired. Before Vince Carter, the jerseys of Charles Williams (52), Dražen Petrović (3), Jason Kidd (5), John Williamson (No. 23), Bill Melchionni (25), and Lius Erving (32) have been retired.