Vince Carter is without a doubt one of the most exciting players in the NBA, and keeping this in mind it is little wonder that the Toronto superstar was voted into a starting role for the All-Star game this Sunday.

Carter, however, has missed the majority of the season with a damaged knee.  While he was able to return to the court for the Raptors over the past few weeks many believed that Carter was undeserving in his starting role for the Eastern Conference All-Star team, and that the high flyer should defer to the NBA's greatest player of all time Michael Jordan.  Jordan has already announced that this season will be his last.

Sixers guard Allen Iverson, who will start along side Carter in the backcourt, has already offered his starting position to Jordan privately.  Orlando star Tracy McGrady went the public route in offering his position to Jordan, T-Mac also lambasting Carter for not doing the same two weeks ago.  Carter, however, believes that the starting position is his, and while he respects Jordan and all he has done he still has to serve the fans who voted him in

"The most important thing I want to get out of the Michael Jordan thing, to clear the air, is that I respect him," he said. "I felt a decision had to be made on what I had to do and what I felt was right."

"To turn my back on them (the fans) would be a lot worse because I would still have to see these million-plus people somewhere throughout the season," he said.

"He's a legend, the greatest player to ever play the game, and that's what made the decision tough," Carter said of Jordan. "I want to make it clear, I respect him, respect what he's about, and I realize that he opened the door for the players who are here today."

Fellow All-Star Gary Payton can see both sides according to Liz Robbins of the New York Times, saying that Carter has to come back and prove that he is still amongst the NBA's elite and this will be the last time fans will get a chance to see Jordan in a game for the fans.  

"You got to understand, Vince has been out for the last two years, he wanted to come back and prove to people that he could still play basketball, and that's what he should do," Payton said. "They voted him in there, they still think he's a hot commodity, they want to see him, let him go.

"But being Michael Jordan, it would have been nice for him to do that. It's going to be better for both of them. Michael's going to get a lot of time in the All-Star Game. It doesn't matter. And Vince is going to play also and people are going to see him, so it doesn't matter."

Last season Carter missed the All-Star game through injury, but he was able to excite the crowd the year before in Golden State.