Most dudes in their 40s, even longtime NBA stars, simply can no longer compete on the court with the non-stop barrage of athletic marvels half their age.And then there's Vince Carter. The 40-year-old veteran got his first start of the season Monday night for a Memphis Grizzlies club desperate for offense. Carter, that crafty old codger, came through in the most spectacular way imaginable, with a game-high 24 points on a perfect eight-of-eight from the field in Memphis' 113-93 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.Carter hit six threes, making him the first player in his 40s to knock down that many in a game. He also became just the sixth quadragenarian to crack 20 points in a game, joining Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, John Stockton, Karl Malone, and Robert Parish. But did Vince Carter also get up a reverse dunk? Vince Carter got up a reverse dunk:The man they used to call Half Man, Half Amazing back in his younger days still manages to wow Memphis head coach David Fizdale: ''He never ceases to amaze me,'' Fizdale said.Fizdale, it should be noted, is only two years older than Carter.With all apologies to Milwaukee's own (Greek) Freak, 22-year-old All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo, there was only one true freak on the court Monday night in Memphis.[Associated Press]
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