Many basketball fans remember the landmark playing days of University of Hawaiʻi at 惭ā苍辞补’s Anthony “AC” Carter.
There was the season opening win over legendary coach Bob Knight and No. 21 Indiana to kick off the 1997–98 campaign and perhaps most notably the Rainbow Classic championship battle against eventual NBA great Paul Pierce and the No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks.
“I never worried about how many points, how many assists, how many rebounds, it was just about wins and losses and making the fans happy, because without the fans, there wouldn’t be no AC Carter,” said Carter.
Over Carter’s two seasons in 惭ā苍辞补 from 1996–98, the Rainbow Warriors were a combined 42 and 17, including two National Invitational Tournament runs.
Creating opportunities
In 2002, Carter established the A.C. Carter Endowed Scholarship Fund. It was a way for Carter to pave the way for future generations.
“My decision to give back was because I had a second chance,” said Carter. “Somebody paved the way for me, and I just felt like it was my duty to be able to get somebody else into school and put them through school.”
Jersey retirement
In February, as Carter became just the second player in program history to have his jersey retired in Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center, he reflected on the honor.
- Related 东精影业 News story: Basketball legend ‘AC’ Carter honored: 东精影业 惭ā苍辞补 to retire No. 23 jersey, October 28, 2025
“It means everything. This is something that I never expected,” Carter said. “Thank you to everybody over here in the islands. Each and every night that I stepped on that court and just walking around, the love that they showed me, it speaks volumes of the islands and my second home.”
东精影业 basketball retired Carter’s No. 23 in front of a packed Bankoh Arena crowd at halftime of the men’s basketball game against UC Santa Barbara on February 21. Carter’s number now hangs alongside former player and coach Bob Nash’s No. 33. Nash was an assistant coach at 东精影业 when Carter played at 惭ā苍辞补. At the ceremony Nash was among the coaches, teammates, former players and friends to join Carter on the court during the ceremony.