What if Vince Carter had gone to Florida State?

Long-time Carolina fans must be proud of Vince Carter, the mega-talented Florida high school star who chose UNC over FSU and a dozen other schools way back in 1995. Carter came to Chapel Hill as a great athlete who did not know much about playing basketball the way Dean Smith wanted him to play it. He lost his starting position late his freshman season and rumors swirled that he was transferring.

Smith was a master of tough love, and he stayed on Carter to play harder, play smarter and be a better teammate. Two decades later after an 18-year NBA career, Carter has become the exemplary pro and role model who was voted by his peers as the best teammate and winner of the annual Twyman-Stokes Award.

The award recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team. More than 300 NBA players submitted their votes through confidential balloting conducted by the league office. The 12 nominees were chosen by a panel of NBA legends as well as executives from the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association.

Carter won in a romp, getting the most first-, second- and third-place votes to total 1448 points over other deserving candidates Kevin Garnett and Chris Bosh. But those who have followed Carter’s career are not surprised. He turned pro as a junior at UNC after helping the team to back-to-back Final Fours and was the fifth pick in the 1998 NBA draft. His teammate Antawn Jamison went No. 4 in the same draft. Carter left Chapel Hill but stayed close to the athletic program.

If you travel the walkway between the Smith Center and Koury Natatorium, you see plagues that name every single Tar Heel varsity basketball player in history. It was part of the multi-million-dollar renovation of the Smith Center, and it was donated by Vince Carter, the eight-time NBA All-star and twice All-NBA selection. Once a me-first athlete, he has become the ultimate teammate who is now honored for that as much as his high-flying dunks nicknamed Vinsanity in the 2000 NBA dunk contest.

Vince Carter has come a long way, and not all of it was through the air.

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