Photo Credit: Errol Anderson

Jeremy Lin Reveals Vince Carter’s Secret To A Long NBA Career

In the 1998 NBA Draft, Vince Carter was initially drafted by the Golden State Warriors with the fifth overall pick. But he was traded to the Toronto Raptors for the fourth overall pick, Antawn Jamison, on draft night – the beginning of a new era in ‘The 6ix’.

Highlight-reel dunks, game winners, well actually wins in general and a new hype reached Toronto.

21 years later, Carter is 42 years old and still playing in the NBA. He seems to be unbreakable and still has highlight plays every other night for the Atlanta Hawks.

Unlike many of his veteran colleagues, the eight-time All Star’s mission isn’t, and has never been, to chase a ring. There are numerous successful and unsuccessful examples of players who did try to chase a ring. Carter though, prefers to continue having a bigger role with a team, rather than playing only a few, or garbage time, minutes to win a ring.

In Atlanta, Carter was teammates with Jeremy Lin, before he signed with the Toronto Raptors, Carter’s first love. Yahoo Sports Canada’s ‘Inside the Green Room’ recently hosted Lin and they also talked about Vince. Jeremy Lin even revealed Carter’s secret to a long career:

“…I remember asking [Carter], like, dude, you’re playing pretty late into your career – this was obviously in Atlanta a couple months ago – I’m like oh, you know, what’s the secret. That’s what everyone always asks him, what’s the secret. He’s like, ‘Yeah, before the game I take Tylenol and Aleve together, that’s the secret.’ I’m like, ‘Bro. I’m not doing that.’ That was not what I expected to hear.

But then he was like ‘Nah, I’m messing with you,’ he’s like ‘You know, obviously take care of your body, but seriously I need Tylenol and Aleve before some of these games.’ He’s like, ‘Sometimes, my body just hurts. I have to take them. The Tylenol kicks in first, and the Aleve kicks in later, so you need both.’ And I’m just like, ‘Alright, I’m going to just throw that piece of information out.’”