After all the contraversy surrounding his reluctance to give up his starting role Vince Carter did exactly that yesterday, deferring to Michael Jordan and allowing the superstar to be a starter in his last ever All-Star game.

Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune writes that the issue was resolved just minutes before the game as Jordan reluctantly agreed to join the starting five, despite being picked as a reserve, when Vince Carter refused to take off his warmups.

"I told them I didn't want to start," Jordan said. "I started 13 times. I didn't need to start a 14th time. But Vince handled it with class."

Carter, who was voted in by the fans, had maintained that it was his duty to reward the fans who had faith in him and he wanted to prove that he still belonged in amongst the NBA's elite despite being injured over the past two seasons.

"I want to tell all my fans, 'Thanks for voting for me,'" Carter said. "But he deserves it."