Today, Vince Carter can have his cake and eat it too.
On the same day the Raptor turns 25 ? a milestone in birthday terms, the quarter-century mark ? he also will be acknowledged officially as a starter in this year's NBA All-Star game for the third consecutive year. Not only that, Carter has clearly established himself as the most popular player in the NBA.
For the third straight annum, No. 15 was the runaway vote-getter in the league's all-star balloting. He's the people's choice. The fans' primo pick above heavyweights like Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and even the ageless Michael Jordan.
However, his journey from rookie phenom to 25-year-old, fourth-year pro has not been one long love story for the Raptors star.
For every accolade ? an Olympic gold medal, rookie of the year, two million all-star votes, for instance ? there's an accusation. He's not a leader. He's not Jordan. He's too wimpy when he gets roughed up. He was rude at the Olympics. He shouldn't have attended his commencement ceremony the morning of a playoff game in Philly. He can't ? or won't ? play defence.
Because he's catapulted this once sad-sack Toronto club from league punchline to headliner, Vincent Lamar Carter has earned the type of celebrity that has forced him to grow up, warts and all, in public.