“It’s just like Michael Jordan when he went to the Bulls” – Charles Oakley equates teaming up with Vince Carter to ‘Christmas gift’

Michael Jordan is without a question the greatest star to have graced the NBA following a stint as a North Carolina Tar Heel, but he was far from the only one. Naturally, with such illustrious programs, comparisons in profile among alumni are common.

Vince Carter, one of Jordan's most prominent predecessors, was certainly the most widely compared to MJ. "Air Canada" was built similarly, played the same position, and had a similar flair for the sky. And the parallels didn't stop at first glance, according to Charles Oakley, a former teammate of both these titans.

Oakley was one of Michael Jordan's best friends in Chicago, but due to trades and movements throughout the course of his career, he had ended up in Toronto, away from the glitter that accompanied Michael Jordan. It was then that he met Vince Carter, the youthful storm rising in the North in a Jordan-esque fashion.

"I didn't know he had what he had. It's just like Michael Jordan when he went to the Bulls. They didn't know he had what he had. So, I guess in college, playing with Dean Smith, he'll not give you a chance to show all your talent. So it's like a gift for Christmas. You don't know what you get when you open the box, it be like, wow" said Oakley, comparing how Carter and Jordan impacted their teams in the NBA, on Kevin Garnett's 'KG Certified'.

"That's what Chicago got, and that's what Toronto got. But both of them was a great athlete and then Vince Carter, he changed the whole narrative in Toronto, Canada. The whole state about ball. He made other kids want to play ball" continued the former All-Star, describing how "Vinsanity" hit Toronto.

Vince may not have gone on to have the impact and success Jordan had, but when he broke into the scene, he really took over. Carter really had one of the most rapid ascensions to superstardom of all time. Living up to the MJ 2.0 tag that had been associated with his rise was no simple task.

"There's only one me," said Michael Jordan, however, denying comparisons with Vince Carter in 2002.

Michael Jordan and Vince Carter, commonly linked by their heroic dunk contest exploits, aren't comparable according to MJ.

The similarities and the narrative comparing the two shooting guards from Chapel Hill had taken over the NBA and had clearly gotten to the attention of Jordan.

Jordan, in 2002, denied any comparison and dismissed it as mere similarities in glimpses. In his words:

"There's only one me, there's only one Stackhouse, there's only one Vince Carter. You may see some similarities in games, but in terms of someone being the next Michael Jordan, there's only one" said MJ.

Kobe Bryant was probably the only individual to earn Michael Jordan comparisons from the G.O.A.T himself. However, for more than a brief moment, Vinsanity did threaten the throne of the greatest shooting guard from Chapel Hill.