ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½

The Nov. 2 jersey retirement — around a game that night against DeMar DeRozan and the Sacramento Kings — is the highlight of Carter’s contribution to the Raptors’ history. It also allows the Raptors to be the first team to retire Carter’s No. 15 jersey; the Brooklyn Nets plan a similar ceremony on Jan. 25.

DeRozan, in town earlier this month to promote his book “Above the Noise: My Story of Chasing Calm,” recalled how he would wake up at 9:30 a.m. in California to watch Carter play Sunday afternoon games in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ and the excitement he brought the fans here.

“To beat records of his, to use him as a standard of greatness to try to keep it going in the organization, to see how long it’s come … it’s amazing to me that his jersey is going to be the first jersey there up, as it should be,” DeRozan told the Star.

It has long been anticipated, and dovetails with Carter’s induction into the Naismith basketball of Fame next month.

As well, the franchise will unveil new jerseys to celebrate Carter and its 30th anniversary. Most notable depicting the team’s mascot posed as Carter making the iconic between-the-legs dunk in the 2000 NBA dunk contest.

The players will wear the jerseys in a Feb. 12 home game against Cleveland, on the 25th anniversary of the dunk contest that Carter won. 

The court rededication pays homage to Carter’s impact on basketball youth in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ during his time with the Raptors. The full-size court, unveiled in 2003, has been resurfaced and spruced up, 3x3 courts have been added and Carter is expected in town Friday for the ceremony.

Honouring Carter has been in the works for years but finding the right time, working through the league-mandated process of developing an alternate jersey and deciding on the right approach took time.

Carter’s Hall of Fame induction was key to the timing but team president Masai Ujiri has long said the franchise would find an appropriate way to celebrate not only his play with the Raptors but his impact on the sport in Canada.