Carter has known for years that he ultimately wanted transition to the broadcast booth after playingNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
Hawks F Vince Carter will retire after this coming season -- his NBA-record 22nd -- and then "smoothly transition into a top broadcasting job," according to Jacob Feldman of SI.com. For years, Carter has "taken offseason time" to sit in TNT's "Inside the NBA" studio, join "The Jump" on ESPN, and call Fox' Jr. NBA Global Championship. During the NBA season, he hosts The Ringer's "Winging It" podcast with Annie Finberg and Trail Blazers G Kent Bazemore. Fox Sports Senior Coordinating Producer Bardia Shah-Rais compared Carter's broadcasting "potential to that of Tony Romo." Shah-Rais: "He'll have his pick of the litter and he deserves it." Feldman noted joining ESPN "could offer a chance to reconnect with former teammates Mark Jackson and Tracy McGrady." Given the net's "recent studio shake-ups, Carter could quickly become one of its most prominent basketball voices." Meanwhile, TNT "employs Carter's frequent golfing partner Grant Hill." It has the "best basketball studio track record and could potentially offer Carter an NCAA tournament role through its yearly partnership with CBS." TNT also "has the dunk contest." Carter said of preparing for a TV career, "I did Sportscaster U seven years ago. I wanted to see if I liked it -- and I loved it. From there I did what I had to do, getting as many reps as I could, doing games, studio work, and sidelines" (SI.com, 8/27).
