Watch: Vince Carter Makes Contested 360-Degree Layup One Day Before His 40th Birthday, Grizzlies Win

Vince Carter has still got some impressive moves even in his 19th NBA season.

Watch: Vince Carter Makes Contested 360-Degree Layup One Day Before His 40th Birthday, Grizzlies Win

The Memphis Grizzlies swingman, who turns 40 on Thursday, made quite a spectacular 360-degree layup in Wednesday’s 101-99 home win over the Toronto Raptors. Carter spun around a defender to reach the basket, then did a full turn in mid-air to beat another Raptors player and hit the challenging layup.

The play drove the crowd at FedEx Forum wild, and made it abundantly clear to NBA fans that his skills and athleticism remain as sharp as ever.

Fittingly enough, Carter was on Wednesday facing the team with whom he began his professional career. The North Carolina product was selected by the Golden State Warriors as the fifth overall pick in the 1998 draft, then immediately traded to Toronto. He spent six seasons with the Raptors.

Carter’s playing time per game has increased since he joined the Grizzlies in 2014, going from 16.5 that first year to 23.8 this season, during which he has averaged 8.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists.

“He puts everyone before himself,” Grizzlies Coach David Fizdale told the Commercial Appeal. “It’s a real compliment to him for how long he’s been able to last, change and evolve from superstar to role player. And he’s done it all with class.”

Carter finished with seven points on Wednesday. He is now just 73 points behind Allen Iverson for 23rd place on the league’s all-time scoring list. He needs merely four more 3-pointers to join Ray Allen, Reggie Miller, Jason Terry and Paul Pierce as the only NBA players to hit 2,000 or more.

“It’s not about my age,” Carter told the Commercial Appeal. “It’s about me loving the game and competing at a high level. I took the time to understand who I am as a player and what I want to accomplish. I still wanted to play the game and be effective.”

Marc Gasol scored a career-high 42 points for Memphis on Wednesday. Zach Randolph added 16 points, and Tony Allen added 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Kyle Lowry led Toronto with 29 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, to erase a 12-point Grizzlies lead. Norman Powell had 21 points and Cory Joseph finished with 15 points.

The Grizzlies next begin a six-game road trip Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Raptors, meanwhile, will host the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday in the first of a three-game home-stand.

LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 16: Vince Carter #15 of the Memphis Grizzlies reacts to his three pointer during a 111-107 win over the LA Clippers at Staples Center on November 16, 2016 in Los Angeles, California.

Article by Pablo Mena