Toronto trades Carter
By Jim Margalus
Wednesday, October 20th, 2004
TORONTO - Vince Carter got his wish. Toronto dealt him to the WNBA’s New York Liberty for forward Crystal Robinson, marking the first inter-gender trade in all of sports.
Fewer games and less contact should help Carter’s fragile condition.
“Vince said he wanted to go to New York,” new Toronto GM Rob Babcock said. “So we gave him what he wanted.”
"With all due respect, we did try to keep him in the NBA. (Knicks GM)
Isiah Thomas was drooling over the prospect of getting another high-priced perimeter player who couldn’t distribute the ball, but we couldn’t make the cap numbers work."
Robinson, who has averaged 12.1 points this season, will be expected to fill in Carter’s spot.
“She gives us a little more interior defense and a little more toughness,” Babcock said. Robinson has only missed a handful of games in her career.
Carter is taking the news in stride for the time being. Tired of a seemingly perpetual rebuilding process in Toronto, he’ll join a team that has made the WNBA Finals four out of the league’s first seven years. The first round of the playoffs is starting this week.
Robinson is 5’11, but Babcock said “she plays at least 6’1”.
“I’m looking forward to playing in Madison Square Garden any way I can,” Carter said. “As long as I’m not graduating from anywhere that week, I know I can help the Liberty win it all.”
Carter said he’s looking forward to lessened contact, shorter players, a smaller, more colorful ball, and dunking over "that Polish chick,” 7-foot-2-inch Margo Dydek.
“What do they play, 38 games in a season?” Carter said. “I think I can handle that, but I don’t want any expectations either way.”
Liberty president Carol Blazejowski said she’s excited to see what Carter can do.
“Vince should bring a lot of excitement to the women’s game,” Blazejowski said. “I believe he’ll get along with the women just fine.”
Carter will get the chance to dunk over tall international women now. Blazejowski said Carter will bring more fans into the stadium, and itwill increase the team’s media exposure.
Right now, reporters for the three city newspapers - the New York Times, Post and the Daily News - share one disposable camera.
Vince is only signed on for the end of this season, but Blazejowski said the team will make “a strong effort” to get Carter re-signed.
“He doesn’t run as great a chance of getting hurt, or getting criticized, or being challenged in any way,” she said. “He should feel at home here.”
