Carter says Dirk called him 'insane' for playing a 22nd season

Vince Carter's decision to continue his NBA career prompted a humorous response from his former Dallas Mavericks teammate Dirk Nowitzki.

"When I decided to come back, I got a quick, easy, simple text from Dirk saying, 'You're insane,'" Carter told reporters at Atlanta Hawks media day earlier this week (starts around the 12-minute mark in the video below).

Carter signed a one-year deal this summer to return to the Hawks for his 22nd and final campaign. He'll be the first player to suit up for 22 NBA seasons, vaulting him past Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Willis, and Robert Parish for the longest career in league history.

"I have an appreciation for each and every one of them, what they accomplished," Carter said. "Stepping on the court to kind of make it official is going to just be crazy. When you see that list and you see that cluster of guys, and then you see the next number is 22 and you see me there surpassing guys like that, it's nuts."

Carter and the Hawks will kick off their preseason slate on Monday at home against the New Orleans Pelicans.