Again if I Did Something Wrong Then Rightfully So

Editor's annotation: This characteristic originally ran on Sept. 25, 2015.

F

or months subsequently he got domicile from the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Vince Carter tried to replicate the greatest dunk of all time -- one that had even the opposition cheering. It was a dunk that occurred years earlier YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. And considering information technology wasn't widely available, it captured the imagination of a nation.

Information technology even transfixed the man who did it.

So one day, in Toronto, where he had gathered then-rookie Mo Peterson and a few other teammates afterward practice, Carter got a brawl, lined upward his tall teammates and tried to jump over them as he did so hands over 7-foot-2 France eye Frédéric Weis in Sydney. He'd try it again and once again -- each fourth dimension with a different issue than the original.

"We'd mess around in do, and I'd try to jump over them," Carter said. "I'd trip over guys or fall.

"I just could never do it the same."

In fact, he never did it again, and in the 15 years since, neither has everyone else.

To this day, the formula remains hard to fathom for the 38-year-old Carter, an 8-time NBA All-Star preparing for his 18th season, his second with the Memphis Grizzlies. Ditto for Weis, a start-round pick of the New York Knicks in 1999 who never played in the NBA and retired in 2011 after an injury-plagued international career.

Weis, as well 38, insists he has no regrets about the dunk, although he avoided replays of it for a decade. On the 15th anniversary of what the French refer to every bit "le dunk de la morte" (the dunk of decease), the play lives on, holding its shelf life like a vintage pair of Jordans.

"[Carter] deserves to make history," Weis conveyed from France, where he owns a tobacco store and is an analyst for French league games. "Sadly for me, I was on the video, too. I learned people can fly."

Weis learned on Sept. 25, 2000, what many take known about Carter since his youth on sandy Daytona Beach, Florida, playgrounds, where Carter first started to defy gravity.

Through interviews with coaches, teammates, analysts, confidants, opponents and witnesses, hither lies an oral history of what is often considered the greatest in-game dunk ever, and the motivation of the man who delivered information technology.

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Carter relives Olympic dunk over 7-foot-2 center

Vince Carter looks back on his famous dunk over 7-pes-2 French center Frederic Weis at the 2000 Olympics.

Role 1: Rising above adversity

It'southward hard to imagine now, but Vince Carter almost didn't brand the Olympics in 2000.

Had the Squad USA choice committee initially had its way, Carter would have remained grounded. Spotter the eruption of sheer rage Carter unleashed after the douse. Information technology's fundamental, but hardly anything personal confronting Weis. It's the outburst of a combustible mix of joy, hurting, anger, resentment and free energy that had been simmering for months.

"He was going through a lot of emotional stuff at that time," former Toronto Raptors coach Butch Carter said in a 2001 Fob Sports documentary. "And he needed to play a trivial mad."

Carter was mad in January 2000 after being bypassed for the final Team USA roster spot in favor of Ray Allen, then a Milwaukee Bucks guard still basking in stardom from "He Got Game" picture show fame. A few nights later on Allen's selection, Carter scored a franchise-record 47 points in a Jan. xiv, 2000, win over the Bucks. Allen left the encounter with a bruised eye and a bloody olfactory organ courtesy of a Charles Oakley-led defence force Allen claimed was clearly trying to send a bulletin on Carter's behalf.

"No question," Allen told reporters afterward. "What was going on was all nigh that Olympic stuff."

A month afterwards, Carter channeled his frustrations during All-Star Weekend in Oakland to deliver one of the well-nigh explosive performances in dunk contest history. He started the side by side nighttime for the Eastward in his start All-Star Game.

In March of that year, Carter was named by Team Usa as an injury replacement for Tom Gugliotta, who tore ligaments in his knee when a teammate rolled into him. Carter joined Allen, Gary Payton, Jason Kidd, Tim Hardaway, Steve Smith, Kevin Garnett, Vin Baker, Antonio McDyess, Alonzo Mourning, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Allan Houston.

Carter had more reason to be irked in April after his poor operation in Toronto's commencement trip to the playoffs, where the Raptors were swept in the beginning round by the New York Knicks. Ironically, that would take been Weis' rookie season with the team, only he remained overseas amid tumultuous negotiations.

And then, the get-go of a turbulent offseason saw amanuensis and family friend Tank Black indicted on federal money laundering charges that allegedly included swindling Carter out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. That was followed by the Raptors' motion to fire bus Butch Carter and teammate Tracy McGrady's decision to bolt for Orlando in free agency equally rumors surfaced of a rift between Toronto's 2 ascent superstars.

Adding to the turmoil, Carter'south younger brother, Chris, had been arrested multiple times on drug-related charges in Florida. The Olympics offered an escape that September, as Carter arrived burdened by heavy baggage. He took refuge in a team that proved well-versed in coping with hardships.

Antonio Davis, NBA analyst and Raptors forward 1999-2003: That Olympic squad was just what he needed to kind of get abroad and channel some of that energy. I don't know if maybe something was going on in his personal life, simply he only seemed to have a chip on his shoulder that I wished he would have ever had, because it was the departure betwixt him being good and bully.

Tubby Smith, Texas Tech head coach and 2000 USA Olympic team assistant jitney: The players like Tim Hardaway and others on that team were very protective of Vince. There were times in [early-circular] games when teams were being very concrete with u.s.a.. He was very aggressive. He would jump, and they would try to take him out of the air. What they were doing was going after him.

Ray Allen, 2000 U.s.a. Olympic squad baby-sit: Nosotros were the villains that whole trip, because Vince and [Australia guard] Andrew Gaze were going at it in Melbourne [during a pre-Olympic exhibition]. Gaze took a shot, and Vince went to contest the shot. But Gaze shot it, barbarous and pulled Vince with him.

When Vince got up -- and Vince was pissed off -- he kind of stepped on Gaze. So the whole building started booing these big, bad Americans, and we were the bullies. We became the villain.

Tim Hardaway, 2000 USA Olympic squad betoken baby-sit: Nosotros weren't going to take that anymore. It was Gary Payton, myself, Vin Baker and Zo [Mourning] -- all the guys that knew how to play physical and nonetheless play their game. Nosotros would say, "If [anyone who bumps Vince] comes through the middle, just crack them and have a foul." That's the mode you're supposed to exercise it. You have to protect your guys.

Alonzo Mourning, 2000 The states Olympic team center: That was like the get-go year where we noticed the competition just didn't fear u.s. anymore. Nosotros got the best out of every last one of those teams. The commencement ii Dream Teams -- in 1992 and 1996 -- they blew everybody away. But our year was the toughest year because [opposing teams] were prepare. I recollect all of the challenges nosotros faced.

Tubby Smith: By 2000, I think a footling of the [Dream Team] nostalgia wore off a niggling bit. And then y'all saw usa go through a piddling transition. In that location were a lot of things transpiring during that time.

Steve Smith, 2000 Us Olympic team baby-sit: We had a little arduousness with Alonzo Mourning and the situation he was going through. He flew all the manner back home to run across the birth of his child. When he flew back, that's when he was -- I don't want to say [there were obvious] symptoms of the kidney problems. But information technology was, "What's wrong with Zo?" And it ends up being that he needed a kidney transplant. So Zo wasn't himself, and rightfully so. But he played well. Other than that, things went along well. We had Gary, Jason Kidd leading the way, Kevin Garnett and, of class, Vince Carter.

Tim Hardaway: That's how we were. We're all family -- helping get through a very important time.

Alonzo Mourning: So that France [preliminary] game was one game I missed considering I had to fly back. I missed the large moment by Vince. Well, I didn't miss information technology, considering y'all couldn't stop hearing about information technology. At practice the adjacent twenty-four hour period, every bit soon as I got dorsum and walked in, everybody was filling me in on it. They were acting like nobody else in the earth had TVs or something; they were so excited.

Tubby Smith: What I appreciated most about Vince at that time was his disposition. Never got likewise high, never too depression. It was the consistency in his attitude, work ethic and energy. He was the best all-around athlete on that squad. Just he was still very apprehensive. He wasn't very boisterous or outgoing similar Gary Payton, constantly talking. He didn't have a whole lot of people pulling on him and e'er effectually. And I know other players respected him so much, considering he was so young.

Tim Povtak, former Orlando Sentinel NBA reporter: I remember being a picayune surprised, people talking nigh Vince having that actress incentive or that extra wanting to exist bully during that time. He kind of had a reputation for being a mama'southward male child. It always amazed me that it didn't bother Vince. But that was 1 of the kickoff times I thought of him as existence tough enough to go along to become what he did.

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Part 2: Preparing for launch

Carter shot 50 percent from the field, 40 per centum from iii-point range, and he led Squad USA in scoring at 14.8 points per game during an 8-0 run to the gilt medal. The national team extended its winning streak to 25 games and improved its overall Olympic tape to 109-2.

Merely two factors overshadowed those figures: Carter's flight over Weis and the Americans losing basis to vastly improved international competition. Lithuania near upset Team USA twice in a pair of games decided past just 11 points.

While frustratingly inconsistent stretches divers their play, the one constant for the Americans was the breathtaking moments behind airtight doors during practice. It was only a matter of time before Carter pulled off something absolutely ridiculous under the bright lights.

Steve Smith: You were seeing unbelievable things in practise ... the mode he was attacking our bigs with that explosion. I remember looking at J-Kidd and GP going, "This is just unreal." Information technology was the dunks, but it was more than than the dunks. I'g 6-pes-8 ... at one bespeak, I was checking him, and he shoots a jump shot. And I'm thinking: "Wait how high he elevated on a pull-upwardly jump shot. ... This is non normal. This is just non normal."

Alonzo Mourning: Information technology's literally the most freakish athleticism nosotros've ever seen during our time. The stuff [Vince] was able to practice, and the hang time effectually the rim, the creativity he would go through in the air to end at the rim; I mean, it was amazing.

Rudy Tomjanovich, 2000 USA Olympic team head coach: In our practices, he was communicable lobs that were misthrown, away from the basket. And he'due south jumping this way, gathering them and somehow turning and [dunking]. Guys were like, "Did you meet that?" Jason Kidd would say, "Man, I tin just throw it anywhere up there, and he'due south gonna go it."

Mo Peterson, close friend and Raptors guard 2000-07: It was just like that in Toronto, too. After that [dunk] in the Olympics, every time I was on his team in practice that [adjacent] season, I would just try to throw lobs equally high as I could -- merely to see if he could grab it. He'd be running back downcourt mad and yelling, "Human being, what the hell kind of pass was that?" And I'one thousand similar: "Man, I knew you lot could catch that, dude. You're Vince Carter."

Tubby Smith: I recollect standing on the sidelines listening to Gary and Jason Kidd and Tim Hardaway say, "I bet he can't catch this lob." It's funny, because those guys would actually be betting.

Tim Hardaway: Nosotros purposely tried to throw it behind him, see how far he'd reach to take hold of it, how high he would get. We wanted to encounter if he could go to the acme of the square and grab it. We didn't know he was going to get information technology. We didn't know he would [then] go bound over somebody. We never bet on that one.

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Part three: "Information technology was one, two ... and that'south it"

Against France, Carter was nearly perfect; he made 6 of vii shots and scored 13 points in thirteen minutes. Amid countless YouTube highlight clips is one that counts at least 25 dunks among Carter's 41 made baskets in his viii-game Olympic run.

Of course, one slam rose higher up them all.

"2 things I think most when it comes up," Carter said. "I'd like to know how many times it's been replayed in the xv years since on YouTube or anywhere else. And then I never, to this day, got to hear my teammates' version of what they saw. Information technology's been fifteen years, and I never heard anything, never looked it upwards to see what they said about what they saw. It would be cool to see what they recall."

The dunk sequence began when Payton drove and missed a contested layup with 16 minutes, 8 seconds, left and Team USA ahead by 15. Vin Baker missed the putback endeavor as Garnett and Allen retreated in transition defense. French republic grabbed the loose ball most the free throw line. But Carter lunged on the left fly to steal French republic frontward Yann Bonato's errant backside-the-back outlet laissez passer.

Carter then eyed the rim and sized up a boring-reacting Weis, France's terminal line of defense force in the lane.

Frédéric Weis, France national squad center 2000-07: I don't remember anything. I had my optics closed [laughs]. I wouldn't move, for sure.

Vince Carter: I knew I was in position to jump the pass and get the steal. Once I got information technology, it was 1, two ... and that's information technology. At that place it was. And so I go the steal. I recollect taking the first dribble and the second dribble, only trying to guess what [Weis] was going to do.

Tim Hardaway: I was toward our bench. The just thing I saw was him communicable the ball, and he never even hesitated. He only went up, didn't care who was in front of him.

Doug Collins, former NBA player and charabanc and NBC commentator for the 2000 Olympics: A lot of information technology was [predicated] by where Frédéric Weis was on the flooring. I mean, had he gotten further away from the basket or gone up -- but once he stood still, he made himself a sitting target for Vince to have his fashion.

Mike Breen, Collins' circulate partner and NBC play-past-play analyst: There was a lull in the game, and it was conspicuously decided. It was a affair of finishing out, so off this turnover, he takes the ball -- to encounter him explode similar that to the rim, I'd never seen anything like information technology.

Steve Smith: I said: "Wow. This is going to be great." And I know Vince. I was thinking: "Permit's see what Vince does. Is he going to get chest-to-chest? Is he going to endeavour to become effectually him?" You looked and said, "Vince is going to attack him."

Shareef Abdur-Rahim, former NBA forward and 2000 USA Olympic team forward: Y'all tin see plays coming sometimes. In that case, I don't even retrieve anticipating anything spectacular happening. He jumped so fast, and then quick, so unexpected.

Vince Carter: [Weis] never stepped upward to me for me to pull up. He was but kind of just waiting there. So in my mind, I figured, "If I become upwardly in the air before you jump, you don't have a shot in hell to stop me." And he stood there. I just remember putting my hand on his shoulder and going upwardly.

Tubby Smith: It was similar the big fella said: "Oh due south---, I need to move or something. I need to go out of here." But information technology was like he was stuck, similar he was frozen. Vince took off and just kept going up, up and up.

Steve Smith: Frédéric decided not to jump. ... He started to mensurate where Vince took off from, just exterior the paint. And in a mode, Weis helped Vince considering he looked like he was going to challenge Vince. And Vince put everything he had into that spring.

Vince Carter: And so after that, I'chiliad only concentrating on the rim. I'g not even focused on [Weis]. I'm non thinking about what'southward going on below me on the ground. I merely figured he'd rolled out of the way or fell down trying to take the accuse, because I didn't experience him anymore. And at that time, I'thou thinking I jumped also far out and I'chiliad going to [come upwards] brusk, similar in that Sprite commercial.

Tubby Smith: Information technology seemed similar he was thinking: "Oh man, what have I done? I'chiliad too far away. How can I correct this?" And his correction was to just drag above it and over [Weis]. He just split his legs and went over him. I don't know how he got that extra boost.

Steve Smith: I think fourth dimension stopped for a second. Weis may accept bent his caput half dozen inches to the side, but [Vince] conspicuously cleared this guy who was seven-foot-2. I had to get together myself, like: "Whoa! What simply happened?"

Vince Carter: I took off outside the box, and I'yard looking at the rim like, "Uh-oh." And if yous go back and wait at information technology, you'll run into that I lean my upper torso forward to reach as far as I tin can [to the rim] because I'm thinking I'yard not going to go far. And when I got there, that'southward where my excitement came from.

Nobody realized that considering they didn't know what was going on, what I was thinking. My challenge after I jumped was to just get as close to the rim as I could. I never thought about the guy under me.

Frédéric Weis: I had no idea about it. The simply matter I remember was [teammate] Mou [Moustapha] Sonko was screaming from the demote like it was me dunking. He was raising his arms like information technology was us scoring. Just information technology wasn't me doing the dunk. I was on the receiving terminate.

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Clockwise, from top: Vince Carter's douse made even his teammates' jaws drib. Right: Kevin Garnett and Carter celebrate. Left: Carter was a force for Team The states in Sydney, leading the squad in scoring. Getty Images & AP

Part iv: 'What did I just encounter?'

Carter landed, shook the voltage out of his legs, flexed his arms and roared as a wide-eyed Garnett maniacally rushed over to celebrate. The dunk gave Team Us a 71-54 lead. A timeout was called shortly afterward, sending a dazed Weis to the bench. He was replaced on the courtroom when play resumed.

"I knew he could jump, but I didn't know he could spring over me," Weis told reporters subsequently the game. "Everybody will know my face now or my [bailiwick of jersey] number, at to the lowest degree. It's going to be on a poster, for sure."

Rudy Tomjanovich: I was standing correct at that place in the coach's box when [Vince] took off and exploded over the guy. And I was sort of in awe for a 2d. I turned, and Jason Kidd was right next to me, and he was yelling: 'We were hither! We were here! We saw this!" I was still like, "That didn't really happen."

Jason Kidd, electric current Milwaukee Bucks jitney, who was sitting at the scorers' table: That douse seemed like it was too easy. It wasn't like he loaded up and that he had to gather his steps, do this and that. It was all in the menses of the game. When he jumped, information technology was like: "OK, he's up there. ... Oh, no! He jumped over him."

Tim Hardaway: I probably jumped higher than [Vince] did. I jumped up. Everybody jumped up. It was most like being at the Rucker Park games. People just nearly stormed the court. We had to control our emotions to keep from going on the court.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim: You probably couldn't print what I said. The demote went nuts. KG grabbed [Vince's] caput and was doing KG things, where he pushes his head. It really set everybody off.

Vince Carter: When I came down, I virtually punched KG in the face because I didn't even see him there.

Reaction, starting from below the basket and spreading to the contrary finish of the earth, ran the gamut. Depending on the vantage point, acceptance came in methodical stages. There was shock, then stunned silence, then disbelief followed by deprival, cliffhanger and, ultimately, hysteria. Many concord on one matter: They needed a replay before they could truly process what they had witnessed.

Vince Carter, from the middle of the action: I'one thousand on another planet at that moment. And I'thousand non even sure who everyone else was or where they were. When I look back on it, I always laugh to myself considering I was relieved I didn't embarrass myself.

Ray Allen, from near midcourt after he retreated back on defense: It was like I was dreaming. To me, Weis being seven feet and Vince jumping completely over him was impossible. Just he did it. And when he did it, it was similar: "I can't believe my optics. What did I just run into? Did he just practise what I recollect he simply did?"

I almost forgot that I was at that place on the floor. I became a fan watching it from the highlights. I'grand always like: "I'thousand right there! I was correct behind that!"

Doug Collins: from courtside broadcast tabular array: Vince, we've seen him do spectacular moves. That's the beauty of the douse. It becomes part of your personality. I played with one of the best great dunkers, Julius Erving. I was spoiled through the years. I don't think I always saw Michael Jordan jump over anybody's head during a game.

Mike Breen, from aslope Collins calling the play-by-play: I knew information technology was special when Doug Collins started screaming. He had seen basketball for decades and all of the not bad players. When he erupted, I knew that it was something we had never seen before.

Georges Eddy, longtime French Television receiver broadcaster, from courtside: It was probably the live commentary that was heard the virtually in my 30 years on Goggle box because we were incredibly surprised and excited. You never see that, except in a video game. People say [Weis] should have fouled Carter. Just give thanks goodness he didn't, because we might have missed the greatest dunk ever.

Rudy Tomjanovich, from in front of the Usa bench: When I saw the replay, information technology was amazing. I wasn't certain what the hell happened in real life.

Craig Miller, Team USA communications officeholder, from the stands: The crowd had this delayed response. People were trying to figure out what happened. "What did he just exercise? Oh my god!" To this mean solar day, the most epic dunk in the Olympics. I've been at the Olympics since 1988. I've never seen anything like information technology.

Shaun Powell, so with Newsday, at present an NBA.com senior writer, from the arena's media section: Anybody looked at each other, stunned. You just had to come across the replay. It was most similar you refused to believe what you thought you saw. Y'all only froze. The only other feeling I can compare it to as a sports writer was at the [1997] Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield fight, when Tyson fleck off Holyfield's ear.

Andrew Bogut, Golden State heart and Australian, then watching live at historic period xv from Melbourne: It was a talking point at schoolhouse. At that place was a photograph where [Vince's] nether region was on [Weis'] head, so that was kind of cool. Everyone was talking about it.

LeBron James, four-time NBA MVP, and then a prep sophomore who watched the replay from Ohio: All I remember was hearing people similar, "Did you lot run across Vince Carter jump over a guy in the Olympics?" I was like: "What practise you mean he jumped over a guy? Like, was he laying down on the ground?"

When I saw it, I was like, "Oh my god!" That's the i play where you knew he was like, "One-half Human, Half Amazing," for certain. You were like, "Oh aye, that nickname is also fitting."

Antonio Davis, watching from Toronto: It was similar watching my baby blood brother ask a girl to trip the light fantastic after I've been on him like: "Listen, dude, y'all're non going to get the girl past only standing over here. You lot've got to be prepare to take that next step and face rejection or any information technology is." [Vince] finally understood [that] when he takes off, you either got to leave of his way or challenge it. And he'due south the best dunker I've ever seen.

Vince Carter, on the moment when reality set in: I didn't know what it looked like until after the game. It was on one of those personal camcorders. I of my teammates had i of their boys in the stands with 1, and they brought it down into the locker room. They were similar, "Look at what y'all did, man."

That's when I really saw it. I watched it 7 times. I recall Steve Smith, Tim Hardaway and Gary Payton looking at me crazy. That's when it became existent.

Frédéric Weis: It was bully. Merely at the end of the twenty-four hour period, it was just two points.

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Function v: Landing on a legacy

Fifteen years later, few remember how the game concluded (the United States won 106-94). For some, everything was a blur. Looking dorsum, Hardaway wasn't fifty-fifty certain of the opponent from that otherwise unforgettable moment.

"Information technology was against the China squad, right?" he asked before being corrected. "That was France? Oh, s---. I idea it was the China team. You lot know what? I really don't know how it played out afterwards that. Yous're right. All I know is we won and that was one hell of a douse -- one of the best of all time."

Every so often, Carter and Weis are still asked by fans about it. Or nigh each other, although they don't believe they've been in the same city -- certainly not the aforementioned arena -- together since the U.s.a. defeated France 85-75 a week later in a rematch for the aureate medal. Whatsoever shame Weis feels from the Carter dunk pales in comparing to the pride of dipping his head aslope his France teammates in 2000 to accept a silver medal placed around his neck.

"Nosotros never spoke," Weis said. "Simply in the final, he tried to go over me [again] and I fouled him. He smiled dorsum."

Yet they remain forever linked by the dunk.

For Carter, it's the about famous basketball play in a likely Hall of Fame career filled with jaw-dropping highlights. For Weis, it's the most infamous snapshot of a career cut short by debilitating dorsum and human knee injuries. Shortly after his son was born in 2002, Weis battled depression and alcoholism. In 2008, Weis survived a suicide endeavor. In contempo years, he has gotten back on his feet.

Georges Boil: A lot of people said he was traumatized and that he never came back from that. That was bulls---. He came dorsum against Luc Longley in the semifinals [win against Commonwealth of australia]. He had a practiced tournament, and he has a silverish medal to show for information technology. Then he had all sorts of [personal] problems. Now, he'southward doing well. He's a man of affairs. People who say Fred Weis is a victim are missing the true story.

Frédéric Weis: I was unlucky with the NBA. I had dorsum surgery afterwards I went to [Knicks] summertime league. It was killing me. And after that, my agent went to jail. Life got complicated. And if something doesn't feel correct, you don't accept to do it. It'south life. I moved on to something else.

I'm OK. I alive in Limoges, [France,] which is where I finished playing professional basketball game. I'grand with my married woman and my son. I take a store, a bar. I like working there. I'm doing some Television receiver, which I enjoy.

Craig Miller: I don't know from the Olympics if I remember 25 players on other teams, but I'll always remember [Weis'] name because of that douse. It made him historic in that sense.

Jason Kidd: Someone has to be role of that incredible play. I didn't think information technology would be every bit bad; and it turned out to exist because he was drafted past the Knicks. It made it even bigger. I call back if he was drafted by anybody else, he would have come over and played in the NBA and had a decent career.

Many wonder how social media might take responded to the dunk. Just the truest measure of the moment's power lies in how its story is passed down like folklore from 1 generation to the adjacent.

Steve Smith: People are even so talking virtually it, and rightfully so. I have a 16-year-quondam and a 13-year-sometime, and they asked me to epitomize it. "Dad, was information technology the greatest dunk ever?" They watched it, simply they still inquire, "Was he really vii-foot-2?" For me to exist in that location -- wow. I witnessed the greatest douse e'er, firsthand.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim: My son has seen it. Kids now observe it. They bring it to me like, "Did you meet this?" I said, "I was there."

Tubby Smith: When I bring recruits or players over [to] my house, I have the photograph album of that Olympic team in my living room. They flip through it, meet the [douse] and go, "Whoa!" That'south when it hits y'all that these kids were babies when this happened and never saw it. They freak out and can't believe information technology.

They say: "Y'all were part of the Olympics, coach? You were there?" And I say, "Yeah, I saw it happen, and I even so can't believe how he did information technology." That set the standard for what a highlight douse is.

Vince Carter: Peradventure information technology's been done earlier, and if so, I would love to hear about it. I don't know if people ever said, "I desire to go out at that place and practise this and see what happens." You lot never plan for something like that. Information technology would never work.

Tim Hardaway: I mean, who does that? Nobody does that. Michael Jordan didn't do that. Clyde Drexler didn't do that. David Thompson didn't do that. Dr. J. didn't do that. And [Vince] did it in the Olympics.

Mo Peterson: When Vince came back [from Sydney], he gave me a picture of that dunk. I kept it in my car for I don't know how long. I still accept it somewhere around here. Someone captured it from a view right over his head. It was a Polaroid that they snapped. A Polaroid! You call up them?

Shaun Powell: You await for those moments in the Olympics. When Charles Barkley elbowed the Angolan in 1992 -- that was a moment. When Scottie Pippen is dogging Toni Kukoc -- that was a moment. Yous look to chronicle a moment that's going to be talked near the next few days. That Vince Carter douse was one of those moments. But that dunk is going to live beyond Vince Carter. It's going to live forever.

Vince Carter: That's funny, human being. I'g 38. It was only a case when the moon and stars lined upward just right for me at that moment. I never idea, talked virtually, dreamed of, imagined -- whatever, you proper noun it -- I could practice something like that.

I never would think to endeavor to jump over a 7-footer. Figured I'd hurt myself.

ESPN.com NBA writers J.A. Adande, Baxter Holmes, Dave McMenamin, Arash Markazi and European correspondent Mark Wood contributed to this written report. You tin follow ESPN.com NBA senior editor Rob Peterson on Twitter @ShotDrJr

Wallace has covered the NBA for ESPN since 2010. Prior to ESPN, he also covered the NFL, SEC and ACC, as well as the Olympic trials, politics, instruction and criminal offence for virtually xx years.

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Source: https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/13713188/after-15-years-saw-vince-carter-leap-frederic-weis-sydney-believe-witnessed

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