SACRAMENTO -- In today's world, 40 is the new 30...until kidney stones hit. Vince Carter keeps himself in incredible shape. In his 20th season, he is a beacon of health and fitness. A marvel of an athlete that has retained plenty of the athleticism that earned him the moniker, "Half man, half amazing."
Carter hasn't felt amazing over the last few weeks. A nasty bout with kidney stones left the 40-year-old forward on the outside looking in. Seven games later, he's ready to take the floor for the first time in over two weeks Wednesday evening against the Los Angeles Lakers.
"I was just happy to sit on the court the other day, just to dress out in a suit and just to be around the guys again," Carter told NBC Sports California following shootaround. "That's what I do. I play the game of basketball. I love it. I love being around it. I can't wait."
Carter has missed the Kings' seven games with calcium oxalate kidney stones. He needs to drink more water, but the biggest culprit in his diet has been a love of greens.
"It comes from a lot of spinach and kale," Carter said. "It forms from there."
While sitting at home watching the team play from his couch, Carter said he was texting coaches and anyone else who would pick up during games. Being away from his teammates is the last thing a basketball lifer wants to do.
This isn't the first battle with stones for Carter, but it was by far the worst episode he's had. It's also not the first go around for the Kings medical staff, who helped former King Marcus Thornton work through a similar situation a few years back.
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Where Carter fits in on a young roster is still a question, but he'll likely see court time against the Lakers Wednesday evening at Golden 1 Center.
