There has been a lot of debate this season among NBA pundits as to whether or not Vince Carter is worthy of NBA Hall of Fame status. As Carter gets longer in the tooth he believes he has done enough to make to the the big show. For those that feel he’s ‘too soft’ of a player to make it to the HOF, tonight’s milestone for Carter puts things into perspective. He passed the great Larry Bird on the All-time Scoring List:
Carter lit it up for 26 points in 24 minutes, making 9-of-15 shots from the field and 6-of-9 from 3-point range. The 36-year-old sixth man caught fire in the third quarter, when he torched Sacramento for 17 points, hitting five 3-pointers.
The 3-pointer Carter hit on the Mavs’ final possession of the third quarter — a shot he celebrated with a Jordan-esque shrug of his shoulder — bumped Larry Bird down a spot on the all-time scoring list. Carter ranks 29th with 21,796 career points.
(h/t to ESPN for the quote)