Boston Celtics honour Vince Carter with first shot memento ahead of retirement

It's no secret that the Boston Celtics organisation and fans appreciate basketball history. During Vince Carter's final game in TD Garden, the Celtics presented Carter with a photo of his first shot in the NBA. The moment was captured 21 years ago on Feb 5, 1999, in the old Boston Garden. It was presented during the Celtics game against the Atlanta Hawks last Friday.

The framed photo includes a piece of wood from the old Boston Garden. The TD Garden was renovated last year. It is its first major repair and expansion since the Celtics moved there from the Madison Square Garden in 1995.

The Hawks have completed their scheduled games in the Celtics home court. They are not likely to meet again this season. With the Hawks currently in 14th place in the Eastern Conference, they have a small chance to qualify for the playoffs.

Carter also announced that it will be his last season in the NBA. If both the Hawks' outlook and Carter's announcement turn out to be accurate, then Carter will not play in the TD Garden again as a professional NBA player.

According to MSN.com, Vince Carter's shot, a baseline fadeaway jumper over Paul Pierce, was his first attempt and first two points as a professional basketball player. Carter was playing for the Toronto Raptors at the time. Carter scored over 25,600 more since then. Carter remembers the moment:

"It was my first shot, I remember the excitement, [being] overly excited. But it all happened so fast. Everything happened so fast. It was like a couple days of camp, two preseason games against the same team, and then opening night against the same team."

The NBA started late in the 1999-2000 season due to a lockout. The now 43-year-old Vince Carter became one of the league's top stars since that night. He became an 8-time All-Star, a slam dunk champion, and played for eight different teams. However, he never played for the Celtics. Carter averaged over 27 points a game in his peak. This season, he averages only 5.3 points and plays for only 15.7 minutes.

It's interesting to see the Celtics honoring a basketball player that never played or coached for their organisation. It shows how they appreciate players and the game of basketball.