Legendary basketball player Vince Carter has retired after a glittering 22-year career in the NBA.

The 43 year-old confirmed at the start of the 2019/20 campaign that it would be his last, but that became unclear when the season was suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But Carter has now come out and told fans his time as a player has come to and end.

In a statement on Thursday, he said: "I'm officially done playing basketball professionally.

"If there was any disappointment because of the season - any of that - it was kind of easier to put it aside and handle it that way. It's like, OK, it's something bigger than my career.

"It's unfortunate. But with the coronavirus taking people's lives rapidly, that's the big picture in my mind.

"So I was able to put the weird ending - the abrupt stoppage of play, to an ending - aside for the big picture."

Although the NBA is set to resume in July, Carter’s team Atlanta are already unable to make the play-offs and were therefore not set to be involved, according to ESPN.

Carter is the only player in NBA history to feature across four different decades.

He was also selected as an NBA All-Star eight times between 2000 and 2007.

As well as his exploits at domestic level, he also won an Olympic gold medal with USA in Sydney in 2000.