1 Raptor (surprise, surprise) in the finale of our Ultimate Raptors Rankings.

What we didnt mention in that post is that Scott and we actually had a chance to talk to Vince a couple of weeks ago, during the final week of the regular season.

What happened next were two plays that, if the game were being played in Madison Square Garden in the regular season, would have gone the other way.

Vince was great to chat with, as he was friendly, courteous, honest with his answers when we got to the tougher questions about the John Thompson interview, and seemed like an all around good guy.

It was kind of interesting to hear him say oh, wow when we explained that the reason we wanted to interview him was because we were naming him the best Raptor in franchise history for our Raptors related blog.

He sounded genuinely surprised and flattered, which kind of caught us off guard.

The fact that something as small as a couple of bloggers in Toronto naming him the best Raptor would surprise him, makes us think that Carter is humbler than people give him credit for.

May 2, 2001 Raptors 100, Knicks 93 With Knicks looking to win first round series in Game 4, they have no answer for Vince Carter, who scores 32 points in Toronto.

Anyway, heres the interview:***RaptorBlog(Joseph): Whats it like to be the new guy on a team thats won a championship, where theyre trying to defend their title and repeat, but you havent won with these guys and youre still looking for your ring.

Vince: Its kind of weird because when we were traded to New Jersey they had just left the Finals.

Man, this is what Ive been wanting since day one and now to get the opportunity to play on a team thats a contender and just won it, so they all know what its like and they want it again.

RaptorBlog(Scott): Theres a lot of speculation from fans and media about your plans beyond this season.

The next two years of your contract are only partially guaranteed, so do you think youd consider re entering the free agent market again if the Mavs dont pick up the next two years, or have you given some consideration to retirement.

We feel like if good things happen with the team and we play well, and do what needs to be done and do whats asked of us, then you know, it will take care of itself.

RaptorBlog(Scott): One of the reasons a lot of Raptors fans might be interested in your possible free agency plans is that a lot of fans hold on to the hope that youll finish your career in a Toronto Raptors uniform.

But Knicks fans can look back fondly on that 97 89 first round win over the Toronto Raptors on April 29, 2001.

Assuming the Raptors submitted an appealing offer in that situation, is that something you would consider.

Chandler, who joined the Knicks as a free agent after winning a title with the Dallas Mavericks, beat Oklahoma City’s Serge Ibaka by a 311 294 margin.

RaptorBlog(Joseph): Vince, the reason we actually wanted to talk to you is because were doing something for RaptorBlog called the Ultimate Raptors Rankings.

Were ranking the top 30 Raptors of all time, and the reason were talking to you is because in the next couple of weeks, were going to unveil you as the top Raptor of all timeVince: Oh, wowRaptorBlog(Joseph): Yeah.

Day two, Charles Oakley puts his arm around us and says Hey, Im gonna show you the ropes.

It was a young kid coming to a new city, just growing up in front of millions of people.

Eight years removed from it, youve seen so many things happen to other players, and you can kind of really enlighten them if ever asked.

When you demand that players do the things that makes teams win, winning is usually what follows.

RaptorBlog(Scott): we wanted to get your take on the Dwight Howard situation in Orlando.

You played with Dwight, so youve seen first hand how important he is to that team, but his public image has taken a serious hit this season with the way hes appeared to lead the team on with his future plans, and his falling out with Stan Van Gundy.

Knicks head coach Jeff Van Gundy didn’t want a fight to get out of hand, so he tried to get between the two men.

Since you had a similar experience with how things ended between you and the Raptors in 2004, what advice would you give Dwight about how he should handle the situation going forward.

So if theyre both sitting there, all of the outside speculation doesnt really matter, because youve said it to the player or to the organization, and pretty much cleared the air.

RaptorBlog(Joseph): Vince, you had a major role in putting the Raptors on the map in the NBA.

May 2, 2001; Raptors 100, Knicks 93; With Knicks looking to win first round series in Game 4, they have no answer for Vince Carter, who scores 32 points in Toronto.

From the win against the Toronto Raptors on April 29, 2001 all the way to the win over Miami this past Sunday May 6th, the Knicks have been total postseason losers.

May 4, 2001 Raptors 93, Knicks 89 Long before Linsanity hits Garden, Vin sanity leaves its mark, as Carter eliminates Knicks with 27 points in 93 89 Game 5 win.

Share your thoughts and debate with fellow basketball fans on developments with the Knicks, Nets and your favorite N.

In the years since youve left, even through some successful seasons, the Raptors have never really grabbed the NBA spotlight like they had when you were here.

And theres this perceived notion out there that Torontos like this little team on an island, and even if players have great seasons here, they still cant get recognition.

That means there are plenty of seasons and playoff runs to look back on and plenty of tough losses and bad plays to regret and relive.

We drove by the Vince Carter Athletic Center and remembered the days when Mr Carter played for the Toronto Raptors.

And that was one of the things we were trying to push at the time with the NBA, along with the fans and the organization, help Toronto gain recognition and put us on the map.

We can speak on behalf of some of our friends, basketball fans, when they come to Toronto, they fall in love with it.

We had some pretty good teams, but we had to get into the playoffs to be recognized.

Since March 7 the Raptors have beaten seven playoff bound teams, holding five of them to below 90 points.

And we still think the younger players in the league now have no idea how great Canada is.

RaptorBlog(Joseph): Well no one in Canada forgets what you did for the franchise, or your role in the most successful period in franchise history, but theres still a lot of bitterness from the fans over how things ended, and you still hear the boos when you come here.

We got into the All Star Game, which also helped gain recognition for Toronto, and thats all we wanted.

RaptorBlog(Joseph): Do you think if Raptors fans could have seen the interview from your side, the way you intended it to be seen, do you think the reaction would have been a lot different.

We mean even now, some interviews that you do that dont come off like that, you still say hey, we wanted them to say this or why did they edit out some of this, we thought that was a good line that we said, so on and so forth, but you know thats just editing, thats just the way it goes.

RaptorBlog(Joseph): Do you think there will be a time, either when you come back as an opposing player or maybe in retirement, years down the road, where you step out on to that Air Canada Centre floor, and you get an ovation.

Like with the questions youve asked, its brought chills because you just think back to where it started.

When we were able to beat the Knicks for that first playoff win, we recalled making the first basket in the Air Canada Centre.

RaptorBlog(Scott): As we said, youre still a significant figure here, and we think deep down inside, all of us hope that theres that sort of full reconciliation and that maybe your jersey will be hanging from the rafters of the Air Canada Centre one day.

Jacqui McIntyre is a fashion journalist based in London, UK. Jacqui has a passion for fashion stories and loves writing about fashion news and fashion opinions that matters most to its audience. Jacqui spends a lot of time discovering and researching latest fashion industry news stories in order to make sure the latest and greatest stories are brought to you first on Stylerchic.com.