The emotion seeping through the face of Vince Carter had been evident from the start, from the fourth question of a news conference hours before his jersey retirement ceremony, from the long pause — and the watering eyes — that followed an innocuous inquiry into how his four-plus seasons with the Nets solidified a spot in the Hall of Fame.

The Brooklyn Nets retired Vince Carter's no. 15 on Saturday night, celebrating a legendary career and marking a special night in the boroug