说文斯卡特的第21个赛季是他的最后一个为时尚早。目前卡特已与重建中的老鹰队签订了一份老将底薪合同，在此之前卡特待过七支球队，亚特兰大很可能是卡特篮球生涯的最后一站了。
It appears to be the right mix for Carter, the league's oldest active player. He turns 42 in January and wants to be ready for a television job when his playing days end.Atlanta, home to Turner Broadcasting and NBA TV, is the right place to be, but Carter isn't quite ready to announce his retirement. 加盟亚特兰大老鹰队，对现役球员中最年长的卡特来说，再适合不过了。明年一月份卡特就年满42岁了，他希望在自己的职业生涯结束后在电视台工作。作为特纳广播公司和NBA TV的基地的亚特兰大很适合他，但老飞人觉得自己的油箱里还有油，还没准备好宣布退役。 "I know playing this game that the media and the fans and people can be cruel," he said with a grin. "It's like, 'You're old and you're playing against guys half your age. You shouldn't be out here.' But then for me that is my goal, to prove that I'm able to do that. And I put in a lot of work in mentally as well as physically just preparing myself." “我知道继续打下去的话，媒体、粉丝以及其他人都会有些于心不忍”，卡特咧嘴笑道，“就像，‘你都一大把年纪了，还和小你一辈的年轻人在一起竞争，你早该功成身退了’。但对我来说这才是我的目标，去证明我依然可以战斗。我花了很多功夫去让自己的身心都做好准备。” "Yeah, I'm still the same person," said Carter, the 1999 NBA Rookie of the Year and an eight-time All-Star. "My approach is still the same. My work ethic, my ability to play the game is still the same. Obviously it's limited. You just don't get to see it as much, but it's the same guy." “对，我一直没变，”这位1999年的年度最佳新秀、8届全明星球员说道。“我的处事方法，我的职业操守从未改变，我还能继续上场比赛。当然年龄不饶人，跟以前自然不能相提并论，不过我还是我。” "The makeup and the makeover of what this organization is trying to do is positive," Carter said. "It's in the right direction. We live in a world where we want it right now, but the reality is that sometimes it doesn't happen that way. “目前的人员组成和球队努力提升的形象都在向着积极的方面发展，”卡特说道，“走向是对的。我们目前处在一个人们希望‘所想即所得’的世界，但事实上有时候事情并不是这个样子。 The potential is there to put the pieces together. My job is to come in and be like, 'Yeah, I might not be here a couple of years, but if I can help lay some foundation and some ideas to lead them in the right direction, that's what I'm going to do.'" 这里有将拼图凑完整的潜力。我要做的就是融入进来，就像，‘对，我虽然是新来的，但如果我能帮着打好基础，为走上正确的道路建言献策，我将不遗余力地去做。”
If something that bad happens again, Carter says he won't complain. For years he has passed up on chances to sign with a contender and chase the championship ring he has never won.And it's not like he needs the money after earning over $160 million in his career. 如果未来有不如意的事发生，卡特表示自己不会抱怨。多年来他放弃了不少签约争冠球队来追逐他从染指过的总冠军戒指的机会。在职业生涯挣到1亿6千万美元之后他似乎也不缺钱。 "To just sit on the end of the bench, I just can't do that," he said. "That's just not who I am. I guess I've been around long enough, and what's engrained in me and what's been instilled in me, that's not my thing." “我就是做不到坐在板凳尾巴上看守饮水机，”他说，“我猜我在这行足够久了，那不是我。这和我根深蒂固的观念和多年来受到的潜移默化的影响不符。” Carter describes himself as a longtime veteran who has a coach's mentality but doesn't want to coach. "I love to play, man," he said. "I have a young guy's mentality with a 40-year-old body." 卡特说自己是个有着教练心态的老兵，但他不想做教练。“我喜欢打球，”他说，“即便我已40岁了，但我人老心不老。” He's a potential Hall of Fame candidate who has his eyes set on becoming an NBA broadcaster. He has already worked as a guest analyst for NBA summer league games and high-profile youth games.TNT could be his next step. 这位名人堂候选成员将目光锁定在了NBA解说员的岗位。他已经做过NBA夏季联赛和高水平青年比赛的嘉宾主持，TNT电视台有可能是他下一步落脚的地方（想一想，一场比赛中解说员比球员更著名的场景...）。 "I have a fear of when it's over not being prepared for the next phase," Carter said. "Now that I'm nearing the end, whenever that is, I want to make sure when that door is closed and I leave my basketball shoes in the gym or where I choose to leave them, I'm ready for the next phase." “我会对没有准备好下一段旅程如何开始感到害怕”，卡特说道，“既然我的生涯会在不久的将来结束，那么我就要确保当我脱下球鞋离开球馆后，我已经准备好重新出发了。”