Egor Dëmin: “When my dad saw me talking to Vince Carter, he was crying”

The 19-year-old Nets rookie reflects on meeting the NBA legend and the impact it had on his father and his own journey

By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net

With just a dozen NBA games under his belt, 19-year-old Brooklyn Nets rookie Egor Dëmin is is already turning to some of the greatest names in sports for guidance.

The Moscow-born guard recently met basketball legend Vince Carter during the Nets’ preseason trip to China, and over the weekend, he crossed paths with hockey superstar Alex Ovechkin.

While both encounters were meaningful, it’s Carter’s insights that are expected to have the biggest impact on his development.

“When my dad saw the video of me talking to [Carter], he was crying: ‘Man, that guy changed the game,’ ” Dëmin said per NY Post, before scoring 12 points in the Nets’ 113-99 loss to the Celtics at Barclays Center.

Reflecting on the conversation, the former Real Madrid youth player added:

“Everybody obviously talks about Steph [Curry], LeBron [James], and Michael [Jordan], but he was like, ‘People like Vince, they really changed the game in their own way.’ That’s special to me, knowing how much that means to my dad. I kind of accomplished my dad’s dreams through my own experience,” Dëmin also admitted that he took notes during his chat with Carter.

Before joining the Nets, Dëmin was part of Real Madrid‘s youth setup and spent a year at BYU. In 2025, he was selected as the eighth overall pick in the NBA Draft and has so far appeared in 13 regular-season games, averaging 7.4 points and 3.4 assists.