Former NBA star Vince Carter reached the pinnacle of basketball accolades Saturday as he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. The only NBA player to tally 22 seasons of play, Carter’s legacy includes some of the sport’s most acrobatic slam dunks as well as a three-point shooting record that stands among the league’s all-time best. A longtime Nike endorsee, Carter headlined the Hall of Fame inductions Saturday, and the brand congratulated him with a special set of sneakers for the big occasion.
The two-shoe box presented to Carter included gold-accented colorways of the Nike Shox BB4 sneaker with personalized details including his initials, jersey number, the year 2024 and “HOF” embroidered on the sides. One pair is covered in metallic gold across its ribbed upper and features purple Shox springs. The second pair is more restrained in its design, using a black-and-white upper with gold filling in the heel area surrounding the Shox columns.
While not considered an official signature shoe, the Shox BB4 was often associated with Carter and worn by the NBA legend while representing Team USA during the 2000 Summer Olympics. Carter also wore the model in the early 2000s while playing with the Toronto Raptors and nearly two decades later during the sneaker’s retro run in 2018 and 2019.
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Along with NBA and WNBA players and college and high school coaches, Carter was one of 13 names selected for this year’s inductions. He was drafted by the Raptors in 1998 and won the Rookie of the Year Award during a shortened season due to the 98-99 NBA lockout. Throughout his record-setting career, Carter played for eight different teams and was an eight-time NBA All-Star. He currently has the ninth most regular season three-point field goals ever made.
Although the Nike Shox BB4 is arguably Carter’s most memorable sneaker, it’s one of many notable pairs from his career. During his 2000 Slam Dunk Contest win at NBA Star Weekend, Carter wore the And1 Tai Chi for his unforgettable through-the-legs dunk. And while he eventually received his own Shox VC signature models, it’s the Shox BB4 that is most closely tied to the newly inducted Hall of Famer.
The Shox BB4 isn’t currently part of Nike Sportswear’s lineup, but the brand does have a few retro Shox pairs for sale including the Shox R4 and Shox TL. As for Carter’s personalized pairs, the packaging indicates the shoes were a 1-of-1 custom and won’t be released, but readers can find a detailed look at the special sneakers below.
