Magic Johnson:"Vince is not a star. Just a regular plyr

[bluefear]

when you get paid 15-16 million per season its not crazy to be 'hating' on a player who doesnt give max effort.....

[xcomputerman]

I don't know. Some of Magic's comments this season have made me really question his credibility as an analyst. Earlier in the season he triggered off the media firestorm of T-Mac trade speculations by declaring that McGrady and Yao could not play together and must be separated.

This particular statement is just hyperbole. Vince Carter falls tragically short of being a great player, that is true. Plays like the last play of last night's game show exactly why he is what he is. But to declare that he is not a "star" is to handily dismiss all the feats he has accomplished over his career, his immense fame and fanbase, and his career statistics. If he had said, "Vince Carter is good but not great", or, "Carter does not have what it takes to win", the statement would be a bit more credible. "Carter is not a star, he's just an ordinary player" is what it is: a false statement.

Apparently Magic isn't very good at choosing his words carefully, either. Then again, one cannot help but say the same for the other TNT hosts.

[Htown_Koopa]

At least vince carter dont have AIDS

[AGGiE]

At least vince carter dont have HIV

fixed

[kooldude]

Magic said Vince wasn't a superstar. that's true, but he's still a star.

[HarlemHeat37]

I dunno, I think you can have expectations from star players. You can't expect anything from Vince Carter. He puts up stats, but if you replaced him with some average SG, like Josh Childress or Mikhail Pietrus, the game wouldn't be very different.

what a ridiculous comment..

I bet half the people here haven't even seen a Nets game this year..he's had stretches where he carried the team..and during NJ's winning streak earlier on, he was making clutch plays and leading the team all the time..

VC isn't a #1 option at this point in his career..but neither are a lot of "all-star" swingmen that used to be..

and Carter didn't just used to be a dunker with nice plays..that's stupidity..he used to be able to carry a team all the time..did people forget this guy was EASILY as good as Kobe in the early 2000's? did people forget all the comparisons between the 2 of them?..the difference is, Kobe never got injured, and Kobe works harded..a lot harder..

[Das]

Honestly if you put Manu Ginobili's heart and desire on VC's body he could be the best swing player in the NBA.

Unless someone else puts Kobe's Heart and Desire on Tmacs body (with a good back).

[Das]

I dunno, I think you can have expectations from star players. You can't expect anything from Vince Carter. He puts up stats, but if you replaced him with some average SG, like Josh Childress or Mikhail Pietrus, the game wouldn't be very different.

LOL

Thats almost as stupid as BScott comment about replacing Kobe with Sasha Vujacic and the Lakers might be better or another comment I read about Duncan can turn Smush Parker into Tony Parker.

[ilikecb4]

if he had 1/10th of the heart this man does, he'd be one of the greatest players in the game

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3tFagQbBX4

[HarlemHeat37]

he doesn't, and he never will though..

guys like Jordan and Kobe are BORN to play basketball..I saw an interview with Kobe a little while ago, and he said ALL HE DID when he was younger was play basketball all day and night, and just trying to get better and better..

the problem with VC is, he has more PURE TALENT than almost everyone in the NBA..VC in his prime, in the early 2000's, was EASILY the most talented player in the NBA, and I have no problem saying that..he just coasted on his talent, but obviously now his talent is declining with age, like every other player..

Carter just never had the killer instinct, but we all WANTED him to get it..everybody loved Vince Carter in his early Raptors days, and we all wanted to see him be the best we've ever seen..he was a top 10 player, he was BY FAR the most entertaining player in the NBA, probably NBA history IMO..

he just isn't one of those dudes that is just born to play basketball..he doesn't breathe basketball..BUT he was born with enough talent for us to say he could have been one of the greatest..

I personally don't let it bother me anymore..I just enjoy what he has done..EASILY the most exciting player in NBA history..more exciting than Jordan..the guy JUMPED OVER a 7 footer..he was doing dunks that would be the NBA's dunks of the year NOW, but EVERY **** game..he used to do an alley-oop windmill every other game..

let's appreaciate the entertainment he has brought us..not everyone can be Jordan or Kobe..

let's be real here..nobody is going to talk about Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, McGrady, and other GREAT players of our generation in 15 years..just like guys like Reggie Miller, and Dominique, and Mitch Ritchmond, and Bernard King, and plenty of other swingmen are REMEMBERED, but nobody brings them up..Vince Carter will ALWAYS be remembered..whether it may be about wasted potential(like Hill and Penny) or somebody seeing his top 100 video on youtube, he will never be forgotten..that's real talk..

[Mad Balla 15]

I agree that his knee's are gone but just a regular player? Come on, let's be realistic here. Teams don't build their defenses and double team a "regular player" like teams do to Vince. Also, LOL @ the guy that said replace Vince with Josh Childress or someone of that calibre and the resutls would be the same.

[SLIMM07]

Magic clarified himself to like how it should of been before.

That's probably because someone told him he was kinda harsh in his assessment in the pre game

[jab]

I agree that his knee's are gone but just a regular player? Come on, let's be realistic here. Teams don't build their defenses and double team a "regular player" like teams do to Vince. Also, LOL @ the guy that said replace Vince with Josh Childress or someone of that calibre and the resutls would be the same.

Maybe you haven't noticed that good teams don't double team VC anymore. Mike was right when he said VC didn't play defense in his prime and now with his knee's gone he does become a 'regular player' when he just jacks up jumpers.

[Tommy Trojan]

Vince had a huge hype when he come into the league, but has faded away from he soptlight.

[richboy]

Vince is a glorified number 3. You will need 2 players better than Vince to go anywhere.

[etopn23]

-= original quote snipped =-




Maybe you haven't noticed that good teams don't double team VC anymore. Mike was right when he said VC didn't play defense in his prime and now with his knee's gone he does become a 'regular player' when he just jacks up jumpers.

As a Net's fan that's seen nearly EVERY game he's played in this season that's complete bull. Just wow.

[Mad Balla 15]

-= original quote snipped =-
Maybe you haven't noticed that good teams don't double team VC anymore. Mike was right when he said VC didn't play defense in his prime and now with his knee's gone he does become a 'regular player' when he just jacks up jumpers.

Okay I don't know where you're getting that from but as etopn23 said, that's complete bull. When Vince got injured earlier in the season and was out for 5 games, Jefferson's numbers went down DRASTICALLY. Not only did his PPG drop big time but his FG% was terrible. This was beause teams focus more on Vince when they play the Nets, not Jefferson. Vince opens up the floor for Jefferson to operate and without him there Jefferson was struggling. I've seen quite a few Nets games this season and you're completely wrong when you say "good teams don't double Vince anymore."

[MagicFan32]

Few playesr can carry a team, some of you underrate Carter alot, he's still a 22 ppg type guy. Jason Kidd is the one who gets overrated by everyone, people see triple double and assume he's great but his defense sucks now and he's one of the worst shooting good players I've ever seen.

and why do people put so much stock into what the TNT heads say? they are incredibly arrogant about the game, thank God Kenny wasn't there to gloat about the Knicks, or how he was the best backup shooting guard in the 90's.

Magic was a great player but he's always had a dislike for Vince Carter and Magic is always on that show trying to self serve for the Lakers, he's just trashing the Nets and Carter because he wants Jason Kidd on his team, just like he was telling the Rockets to break apart their team.

[jab]

-= original quote snipped =-

As a Net's fan that's seen nearly EVERY game he's played in this season that's complete bull. Just wow.

MJ made that statement about him not playing any defense 5 years ago and I came to that conclusion about his knee's hindering his skywalking ability last year.

I have been watching Vince long before he won the dunk contests so maybe the Nets homers need to take a chill pill on the 'Just wow'

Magic and Charles called it as they saw it so maybe you need to direct your anger at TNT for employing them

[MrBojangelz71]

Vince will go down as the biggest squandering of natural talent in the NBA. Throw his talent and ability into a player with a Bill Laimbeer work ethic and you woulda had the next MJ.
Vince should of had at least 1 MVP and 1 championship ring by now but will be lucky to ever sniff such prizes. On skill and athletic ability alone he was able to carve an all star career out. Had he thrown in a bit of intensity and hard work, it would have been an HOF career.