NEW YORK, June 4, 2001 - Toronto Raptors guard/forward Vince Carter has been
named the NBA Hometown Hero of the Month for his outstanding efforts in the
community. The award is presented monthly to an NBA player who has
demonstrated excellence in his community.

Carter is extremely active in community outreach programs, much of it
conducted through his non-profit Embassy of Hope Foundation. Throughout the
2000-01 season, he provided 15 tickets to each Toronto home game for a "Hoop
Group" program for students selected from the Frontier College Homework Club.
After each game, Carter met with the Hoop Group to discuss the importance of
getting a good education and overcoming obstacles, and he answered students'
questions. At the end of the season, Carter hosted the Hoop Group Rap Up
Rally, at the University of Toronto's Hart House.

As part of the league's March is NBA Reading Month program, Carter, the
Raptors and Imperial Oil teamed up for the "ESSO Reading Time-Out." The
program encourages boys and girls to develop an interest in reading and
challenges them to read as many books as possible during the month of March.
Carter brought the Toronto class that read the most books during the month to
a Raptors game and visited the class for a read-along.

Carter has also been the Bell Raptorball Youth Leagues (BRBYL) spokesman for
two consecutive years, promoting the league and the development of basketball
in Canada. As program spokesman, he also spends time with kids in fun and
unique settings. One example is the BRBYL Open Practice that allows all
participants, coaches, and volunteers of the program to view an NBA practice.
They also have a chance to win an opportunity to play basketball with Vince
on the court at Air Canada Centre. Over the past two years nearly 20,000 boys
and girls have participated in the BRBYL program.

Earlier in the year, Carter and his mother Michelle played Santa Claus to 15
families from a Toronto shelter, hosting a Christmas party at Air Canada
Centre. Carter presented all the children and their mothers with a gift so
that each family went home with a bundle of Christmas goodies. More than 32
children from the age of six months to 12 years had lunch with Carter and
spent the afternoon opening gifts with him. "Believing In Christmas" was an
Embassy of Hope Foundation initiative.

In January and February 2001, Carter, the Raptors and Imperial Oil held an
essay contest encouraging students from grades three to eight to write a one
page essay that finished the thought: "Winning Is...". Six grand-prize
winners were selected from the 1,400 student essays received. Each winner
received a Raptors Prize pack valued at $100, two tickets to a Raptors home
game, and the chance to meet Vince after the game.

The slogan of Carter's Embassy of Hope Foundation is "Believing in Your
Dreams" and represents Carter's lifelong commitment to perseverance and
achievement - qualities that have enabled him to excel as an athlete and in
his commitment to help those less fortunate. The foundation was established
in 1998 in Carter's hometown of Daytona Beach Florida, and the following
season in his adopted home of Toronto. Michelle Carter, Vince's mother, is
the executive director of The Embassy of Hope Foundation.

As the May Hometown Hero, Carter will receive a $5,000 donation from the NBA
to the charity of his choice. All 29 NBA teams nominate a player for the
Hometown Hero of the Month award, which is presented 12 times a year. Other
candidates for May included Orlando's Grant Hill, Houston's Hakeem Olajuwon,
and Indiana's Reggie Miller.

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