Impact of Vince Carter still felt in Canadian basketball

Glen Grunwald's expectations were low for Vince Carter's pre-draft workout with the Toronto Raptors.

Not because Carter didn't have the skills or athleticism to be an impact player — he had been a standout for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, after all. But Carter had a gruelling workout with the Chicago Bulls the day before, and a delayed flight to Toronto meant that he only managed a few hours of sleep before his workout with the Raptors.

"He showed up at the University of Toronto gym there with a big smile, with a lot of energy, with a really positive attitude," recalled Grunwald on Tuesday. "He was excited to be in Toronto, and was very interested in playing for the Raptors and moving to Canada with an open mind that you often didn't see in some NBA players."

And then the workout began.

"He went on to just blow us all away with his great workout, his great athleticism, his high skill level, and his very positive energy," said Grunwald, the Raptors general manager from 1997 to 2004. "I think from that moment on I was sold on Vince Carter."

Carter was drafted fifth overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 1998 NBA draft but Toronto immediately traded Antawn Jamison, the fourth overall pick, for him.

That deal launched a Hall of Fame career for Carter, propelled the Raptors to three consecutive playoff appearances (1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02) for the first time in the team's short history, and breathed life into basketball in Canada.

WATCH | Celebrating Raptors icon Vince Carter as his jersey is retired:

Vince Carter's Influence: Celebrating a Raptors icon as his jersey is retired

"He brought eyeballs to the Raptors and to the City of Toronto and to the NBA as a whole, people who otherwise would have