Vince Carter Quotations

My first dunk was actually in sixth grade.

Everybody is different. Everybody has different styles. Just do it the best way you know how.

There's not a thing that any of you guys can say bad about me that would hurt my feelings... I'm not coming at you, what I'm saying is that, I'm willing to take that heat for my team, if we're playing well or if we're not playing well.

I don't want or need to gain respect with what I do off the court. I want respect for what I do on the court.

I play some fighting games, but mostly I just play sports.

I don't care how I got here. In the books, when you look at it 10 or 20 years from now, it's not going say how he got here, it's going to say he's here and he represented the team.

I just think people should be able to express themselves.

I think people are going to like my new shoes. I like them. I had a lot of success with the one last year, but this year's shoe is going to be a little different, but at the same time it's going to be a little spin-off on last year's shoe.

We still think we're a good team. We didn't get blown out of here (in Cleveland), for one. We're capable. We just have to step it up a little bit.

We still think we can beat them. We are definitely disappointed.

When you think something can't be done, that's when he pulls off another stunt.

You don't know what to expect. The only way you can really understand it is just being in it.

We bend but don't break. We have to have that attitude. That has been our approach the past seven or eight games.

We're better prepared. He wants more out of us so, of course, that's going to call for more work.

We knew we were going to have to grind it out. I don't care what their record looks like. They come at you from start to finish.

We know we have a team that can make a lot of noise.

We want to play team defense, regardless (of what Iverson does). A.I. can get his points. The priority is to win the game.

We always felt (catching Miami) was a possibility. But we have to take care of our jobs and just win. If we just win, everything will fall into place.

We didn't want Yao to dominate down low, but we wanted to make it as tough on him as possible. If Yao was going to get his shots, we didn't want the other guys to go off. I thought, overall, we did a good job.

We didn't want Yao to dominate down low, but the thing that makes it tough, you have to give up something. If he's getting his, you just can't let everyone else have a good night.

When it was all about V.C. the Raptors played with fear, and that's not how you win games.

When you come out to play a rival you never know. Regardless of the up-and-downs, you are going to get the best effort. It was important for us to come out focused. You want to jump on them early and stay up. If you give the team life at any point in time they can come back and beat you.

Looks like he lost a little weight. Looks lighter, quicker on his feet. He's going to be a tough guy to stop. It's close to that time now, so I guess he's getting in playoff form.

Shaq in foul trouble makes life easy for everybody.

My goal, especially this year, has been from the jump ball to attack. Be aggressive, make teams key on me. If you want to put three guys on me, then it's R.J.'s turn. You have to pick your poison. It's wonderful to have. We have off-nights when it's not going, but more times than not, if one of us isn't going, then (the other) two of us are going to have a good game.

I was going to give it a try. If (it didn't loosen up), I was going to sit down. He beat me to it.

I was taking what they were giving me early. I was free on some pick-and-rolls and was able to get into the lane and make things happen. Later I was able to find open guys and they were knocking them down.

I wouldn't mind it. Initially it would be like.

I don't care who is on the other team. If they only have five guys to play with we're trying to win. It's unfortunate for them and fortunate for us. Sometimes when your best player isn't in the lineup that's usually when a team can be very dangerous because they play together and they play real loose.

I'm a little sore. It kind of went bad when I fell on the floor. It just wasn't the same. Then I fell again and it stiffened up on me. I just couldn't get it loose. It was hard to shoot the ball like I wanted to shoot it.

I felt bad. It was far from what they assumed it to be.

I can't say enough about what he does for our team. He handles the ball, can go to the basket, great shot, and always shows up in the big games.

For us to have success in that streak, we had to play many types of styles, and we were able to succeed.

If we win, take care of our business, it can happen.

He might be one of the best now. And he's going to get that all-star vote and he deserves it.

He came out here, and everybody wanted to go at him, because he had a big target on him. He had the big contract and everything, so everybody wanted to go test this guy out.

We traded baskets with a team that likes to run up and down. They are a very good transition team. ... They were hitting everything.

We've got to go back to the drawing board and get some home cooking.

We thought we were a pretty good team and we could go far. We were one shot away from going to the conference finals that year, but unfortunately the guy who took the shot missed it.

He's a bulldog. He's one of the unsung heroes. Nobody talks about the intangible things that he brings on the floor. He's an unbelievable teammate and he's just hard-nosed.

He's a great player. He shares the ball for 3 1/2 quarters and in the last six minutes he turns it up. He's phenomenal.

Going through rebuilding is always tough, I don't care where you are or who you are, it is always tough. It is important for those guys to stick together and stay positive if that is possible.

He's definitely a special piece to our puzzle.

He's going to sleep well tonight. Not comfortable, but he's going to sleep well.

He's been doing this since Day 1. When he doesn't do it, then we'll be surprised.

We made them take tough shots. We got the rebound and kind of got into transition, tried to get as many easy buckets and make it tough for them, and take them out of their comfort zone.

He was playing with a lot of confidence. He can do it all. He does a lot for this team and he showed it tonight.

He was relentless. He wanted to win this game. You could see it in his eyes.

He can really play. There aren't many rookies like that, and I'm glad we got one of them.

Just win as many games as possible. The overall goal is to win as many games as possible until there are no more games to be played.

Just one game at a time. Detroit is playing unbelievable basketball. This is a test for us. The last time we played in Detroit, they gave us one. So it's an opportunity for us to come back. I feel like we're a better team, a more confident team.

I think we make a commitment to defend them.

I think we did a good job of containing him, but he stepped up. He didn't score a lot of points, but he made shots and got rebounds that were big for them.

I think we've established ourselves at home. But we've still got to keep that focus every night.

I think turnovers were key, on top of them getting points off our turnovers. That was the big thing.

I was able to get in the lane and make things happen. Coach (Lawrence Frank) did a good job of putting me in different positions to succeed.

I was just trying to get to the basket and have the referees make the call,

I was just trying to be aggressive and get to the hole.

I was just taking what they were giving me. On pick-and-rolls they were loose and I was able to get in the lane and make things happen.

I was just tying to put the ball in the basket. I just wanted to be patient and take what I could get. Just wanted to go to the basket and avoid him, because he'd already took two charges on me, so I was concentrating on trying to do both things.

I was just trying to take what the defense gave me and mix it up a little bit. If (the defender) was playing up on me, just trying to make him pay and go to the basket and get to the line.

Just be yourself and do what you can do, ... Everybody is different. Everybody has different styles. Just do it the best way you know how.

Our goal is to attack the basket and put the onus on the referees to make the calls. We weren't hitting our jump shots outside, so we had to be effective some other way.

Our goal and our focus is to bring the same attitude regardless (of the opponent). We just try to take teams out early and throw them out of our building by any means.

Our willingness to win. I think, by saying that, it covers all aspects of the game: our willingness to win for 48 minutes, being aggressive, trusting each other. All that. Just committing to the team.

Our bench, mainly Cliff, was outstanding. Something in the second half ignited them. It was great to see because you were able to bring in another guy and still keep going.

Regardless of whether (Jefferson) was back or not, we just weren't happy with our effort (on the road trip). That's what we wanted to correct - we wanted the effort level to be there.

Regardless of our seeding, as long as we're playing well and rolling into the playoffs, that's what we care about. We're just looking at whoever we play, we have to be prepared.

Our last two (games), we looked like a team that wanted to go home.

I was trying to deny him as long as possible, at least eight of the 13 seconds, just to make it a tougher shot and push him out as far as I could. I just wanted to keep my hands up and make it a tough shot.

I was trying to make a play get the ball and be aggressive. I felt I could get in there and get a call but to no avail.

I was going for the win. It did everything but fall in.

It felt like I was playing with a ton of bricks on my chest.

It feels better. (Trainer Tim Walsh) said give it a chance to heal, give it a day, no running and see how it feels the next day. If not then, definitely the next (game against Detroit). I definitely want to play Tuesday.

I think our level of focus is the key right now. The results are getting wins.

It doesn't do anything. It makes me laugh. OK. Fine. Whatever. Moving on.

It definitely helps, being on the streak we're on, and the way we're playing. You need to play a perfect game to beat these guys.

Just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hurt.

Just his presence out there made a difference. He played well for someone who hadn't run in seven days.

Just his presence out there (helped)...they weren't doubling me.

Maybe it came off as a chip, it was just focus. I wanted to get my first win here. They brought me here not to just win 49 games but to win playoff games. That was my goal. It was important for me to come out and just be Vince.

That was a foul. The other one I don't remember.

I was beginning to feel like I was in the gym by myself out there,

I wasn't trying to draw any fouls. When you get in a situation like that, you've got to put the ball in the basket. It was an opportunity where the basket was needed and it stretched the lead out. I just wanted to be patient and take what I could get.

We just couldn't put the ball in the basket. We couldn't make shots. We got good looks.

You just want to hear me say it. Of course there's adjustments, there's always adjustments. Teams put in new plays. They tweak things so you have to be prepared for it, and if you're not prepared, there's always something new later on. We could play them 20 times and you'd make adjustments 21 times. That's the way it goes.

We're definitely more experienced and more athletic. And, we have guys who can shoot the ball. Now it's going to make teams have to make a decision because we have guys one through five who can shoot.

You always want to come out and put your mark on the game early, if possible, especially a home game. At the same time, we knew how bad they beat us last time, so it was extra motivation for us to come out and play a solid basketball game.

We really made it too easy for them. They were really playing to protect their home court and now we just have to take our opportunity by bouncing back and evening it up on Saturday.

We're really starting to gel, starting to move. We've got our flow going as a starting unit. It's good to see.

We have the right to be frustrated and mad about individual play and mad about the team play. But when everybody is doubting us and everybody is against us, the guys that are on this team, including staff, must be on board. We must stay focused and we must stay together.

We know it's there. He just has to find out how to become a pro, and incorporate his game and learn the way he should play night after night. He'll get there. I really believe that.

We didn't care that Chauncey hadn't scored. We know that it doesn't matter if he has no points or 30 points, he can take over any game at the end.

We didn't bring our 'A' game. We didn't even bring our 'B' game. Our last two (losses), we looked like a team that wanted to go home.

We don't have a star like last year. But we don't have the controversy and the confusion either.

We play at a high level at home, and I hope we can continue to do that and carry that on the road. It seems like on the road we always dig ourselves a hole and have to fight out of it.

We definitely knew what was going to happen, how they play and what to expect. We just didn't respond.

We want to just roll into the playoffs playing the style of basketball that Coach expects us to play. If we can fly under the radar and get the job done, why not?

We're just consistent right now, playing hard, grinding it out. Whatever kind of basketball needs to be played on any given night, we're playing it.

We're trying to protect home, continue our streak. I think getting caught up in the whole rivalry thing, it can hurt us as far as not coming out and playing our best basketball.