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Vince Carter happy to be “the guy I’ve always wanted to be”

Former Raptors star is the oldest player in the NBA and more than just an eminence grise with the Grizzlies.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Vince Carter, who celebrates his 40th birthday Thursday, says he never sought fame. He thinks of himself as a behind-the-scenes guy.

MEMPHIS—Time and circumstance have changed what Vince Carter is but not who he is.

On the eve of his 40th birthday, about two decades removed from an astonishing beginning to an NBA career built on jaw-dropping dunks that brought him global fame and notoriety, Carter remained what he said he always was: someone who would rather blend in than stand out, someone who wants to be great but not because of what greatness brings, a man whose skills wouldn’t allow him to be just one of the guys.