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Sports

Vince Carter Is Still Half Man, Half Amazing at Age 40

Vinsanity is alive and well.

This article originally appeared on VICE Sports Canada.

He's still half man, half amazing, and he's 40 years old.

Vince Carter is getting it done in his 18th NBA season, and the day before his 40th birthday he unselfishly delivered a present to all of us in the form of this nasty, vintage 360 layup.

After isolating and subsequently burning right by Toronto Raptors forward Terrence Ross, Carter took it hard to the hole and finished with this tantalizing up-and-under spin move. Did we mention he turns 40 today?

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It was all too fitting that Vinsanity decided to delve into the time machine against the Raptors, the club he spent most of his first seven NBA seasons with. A team for which he played 403 games (starting all but two of them), averaging nearly 38 minutes and 24 points per night as he carried the Raptors franchise through some of the most successful seasons its ever had—including a 47-win campaign in 2001 that saw Toronto advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time ever. He deservingly should be the first Toronto Raptor to have his number retired when, if ever, he decides to call it a career.

Though the end of his tenure with the Raps and his departure from Toronto was polarizing to say the least, there is no doubt the man dubbed "Air Canada" is the best to ever wear a Raptors uniform. As Carter continues to show value, consistency, and even flashes of brilliance like he did on Thursday, it's clear what was once considered by many to be his largest detriment has turned into his biggest strength.

Durability has become the trademark of Carter's latter career. As he stumbled and limped his way out of Toronto in 2005, to the dismay of many fans and team personnel, it would have been laughable to even suggest that Carter would still be going like this at his age.

Well, like a bunch of other crazy shit that's gone on since 2005, it's actually happening—VC still has it. As the NBA's oldest active player, Carter is a durable, productive and healthy component of a playoff-contending team in Memphis, and he's one of the rare few to play in the league (and still produce) at the age of 40. The No. 5 overall pick in the 1998 draft continues to turn back the clock, averaging nearly 24 minutes and already playing in 40 games this season—one more than he played all of 2015-16.

It's impossible to predict how or when his NBA journey will end, but it's easy to see where the final destination should be—the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Since watching VC dunk never gets old, here's 10 of his best to enjoy on his 40th birthday.