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.

Carter’s family, his former Nets teammates, ex-coach Lawrence Frank, team president Rod Thorn and fellow Nets number retirees Julius Erving, Bill Melchionni and Buck Williams were on hand to see Carter become the seventh Nets player with his number retired.

The Brooklyn Nets retired Vince Carter's No. 15 jersey at the Barclays Center on Saturday, with the great Julius 'Dr. J' Erving - Carter's childhood hero - in attendance