Since news of his induction, Carter has said he wanted to go into the Hall of Fame as a Raptor. That’s not really how the Hall of Fame works, as it does in baseball, but it is a nice sentiment. He said on Friday that upon the Brooklyn Nets deciding to retire Carter’s number, he requested that they not do it early in the season, giving the Raptors a chance to do it first. “Whether it happened or not, I wanted to respectfully give them the opportunity, because, yes, great things happened in New Jersey, but this is where it started first,” Carter said. He added “That’s fair” when assessing those who don’t love the honour the franchise is extending him. It is an acknowledgment, if not an apology. Twenty years later, that should do.