We would have argued about Shaq and Kobe or Vince and T-Mac?. [14] In response to these criticisms, former Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy described McGrady as a poor practice player but praised his coachability, unselfishness, and ability to perform well in big games. Will he make it to the Hall of Fame? Did Kobe really mean it? Jason Kidd wants Deron Williams to pass more, Dwight reportedly wanted Kobe amnestied, DAntoni fired, Ranking the top 100 NBA players of 2017. The Rockets ball pressured every Spurs player. Report: Chuck Klosterman on the NFL Draft, Hack-a-DeAndre, and Mad Men, B.S. [106], Per McGrady's Basketball-Reference page unless noted otherwise. It's easy to see why when you look at some of their 1-on-1 matchups: McGrady was never one to shy away from theatrics and certainly put on a some dazzling shows during his seven appearances in the All-Star Game. Tracy McGrady retires: A look back at T-Mac's greatestmoments, The entire NFL screwed up by letting the Eagles win the draft so easily. [58] On February 24, he had microfracture surgery in Chicago, forcing him to miss the remainder of the year. Wouldnt they have made it easier for the cousins to become Poor Mans MJ and Rich Mans Pippen? The symptoms of Tracy McGrady disease depend on the severity of calcification the affected brain regions. Was I looking forward to coaching him in the second game of a back-to-back against a bad team? T-Macs brilliance was never infectious like that. No, not gonna happen. [19][20][21] He elected to join the Magic in part because he disliked his secondary role playing behind Vince Carter,[22] in part so that he could return home to Florida, and in part to play with their other newly acquired free agent, Grant Hill. Before the 2000 All-Star Weekend, he was a good candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year with 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocks. [14][18] McGrady's final averages were 15.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and a career-high 1.9 blocks per game. In the next two years, McGrady met the peak of his career by claiming two scoring titles. With McGrady deciding to finally and officially retire from the NBA, we look back at his greatest moments that helped define everything that made T-Mac so fun to watch. But Nique had a bigger personality than McGrady both on and off the court12 and loved nothing more than getting embroiled in mano a mano duels with the other teams best guy. Tracy will either have to fight through his pain to play the game he loves, or he will be forced to retire. [5] At various points during the year, he missed time due to back spasms, including a moment in January where he had to be carried off the court in a stretcher due to a severe flare up. Copyright 2022 News Trend Line. 1 best seller The Book of Basketball. I really believe that. Would you feel differently about T-Macs career then? But the NBA didnt fulfill that promise, so the two sides eventually parted ways. Yeah, he would have fit in there.. 3 overall pick, who only played 51 games for Boston followed by Pitinos historic quote, It wasnt giving up on a young player because we thought he was fantastic! So I guess T-Mac intersected with Rick Pitino, too! They both played on the same teams in the NBA but never knew they were related until their grandmother called them to ask who was older: Carter or McGrady. He has not played an entire 82 games of an NBA season throughout his 11-year career. 6'8", 225 lbs Orlando Magic SG Career Stats Game Log Splits Guard Tracy McGrady played 15 seasons for 6 teams. They were both amazing players and they shared mutual respect. I was there every night. In 1995, despite his God-given talents, Kevin Garnett was only a fifth round selection, and Kobe Bryant was the 13th pick in 1996. [9] His senior year averages were 27.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 7.7 assists,[12] 2.8 steals, and 2 blocks per game. During his first three seasons, Yao missed two and 91 games in four years. And by the way, if were sticking Bernard King in the Hall of Fame based on a stupendous peak and a slew of What ifs?, then how the hell are we leaving out Tracy McGrady? Van Gundy raves about Vince back then, pointing out that Vince HAD to be doubled late if he had it going. Tracy ended the season missing 16 games. Those 35 playoff games became part of his legacy, for better or worse superduperstar numbers for someone who obviously couldnt be a superduperstar because (hold on, Im grabbing my sports radio voice)lets be honest, folks, superduperstars should make the second round! "[50], In 200708, the Rockets went on a 22-game winning streak, which was the then-second longest in NBA history, despite missing Yao Ming during that stretch. A pituitary gland condition is thought to have contributed to his gigantism. During his NBA career, Tracy earned a bit over $160 million in total salary. More importantly, McGrady said the following words in March, 2001: "I got more points because there are so many people who don't defend. Then injuries hit him again and took his speed. Smart as hell. He has not played an entire 82 games of an NBA season throughout his 11-year career. [5] In response to the trade, McGrady stated that he was happy with the situation and expressed excitement over the prospect of playing alongside Rocket All-Star center Yao Ming. This is the same surgery that ruined the careers of many NBA stars like Anfernee Hardaway, Allan Houston, Chris Webber, and Jamal Mashbure. Having finished two flat seasons in the Raptors, McGrady met the first running point of his career. [14] Late in the season, Walker resigned, and McGrady began playing more under new coach Butch Carter, who agreed to increase McGrady's minutes on the condition that McGrady would improve his work ethic. Age 21: 26.8 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 4.6 APG, 40.1 MPG, 46-36-73%, 3.0 stocks,4 24.9 PER, 12.2 WS And for whatever reason, we had an inordinate amount of incompetent general managers and owners making a staggering number of shortsighted decisions.2. The Rockets couldn't win games without him and missed the playoffs that season. But if you put him against a great team? Check common procedures to see if a device has a SD card. He also set a career-high by scoring 41 points in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. But with bad luck on Tracy's side, Hill played only 4 games that season due to an ankle injury. I knew he wasnt playing that night unless they were up 20 or down 20. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()). 09 Wade: 30.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 7.5 apg, 38.6 mpg, 49-32-77%, 3.5 stocks, 30.4 PER, 14.7 WS [6] He also played at the 1997 Roundball Classic, scoring 13 points. Thats the Kobe/KG/T-Mac/Iverson era in a nutshell. Within 18 months, Wallace was the best rebounder/defender in the league. Here are highlights from one game in that season. McGrady had that chance not once but twice. In 2014, he was also part of the documentary The End of the Wild about elephant conservation. Southern Min. Read More: European Health Data Space The digital transformation of healthcare in the EU. [95] After McGrady left the Raptors, they had a feud, but it was resolved in a short period of time. [55][59] By then, his averages had declined to 15.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. In October 2001, Sports Illustrated quoted a scout for choosing McGrady as the best player of the Eastern Conference over Allen Iverson, Vince Carter and Ray Allen. Time. I could have picked four different MJ seasons here. [64] He would finish the season with averages of 9.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 26.1 minutes per game. [71], On August 26, McGrady officially announced his retirement from the NBA on ESPN's First Take. Even though the Raptors were building something special, McGrady bolted for seemingly greener pastures in Orlando. Since Rockets GM Daryl Morey crossed paths with McGrady for three-plus years in Houston, I called him to pick his brain. Maybe Penny Hardaway is available to come in and coach. First, he was teammate with Yao Ming for five seasons. About 75 minutes before Game 4 in San Antonio, I was standing on the court waiting for Duncan to warm up one of my favorite Finals moments, if only because everything that has happened in Duncans extraordinary career makes sense after youve seen him warm up. T-Macs worst habit, picked up during those Orlando days: He shot way too many 3s for someone who just wasnt a good 3-point shooter. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for tracy mcgrady bobblehead legends of "the court" at the best online prices at eBay! [47] His final averages were 24.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game. Those are the conclusions you make when youre 21. Tracy McGrady is one of the greatest scorers in the history of the National Basketball Association. Great, gracious basketball players don't grow on trees. Therefore, although injuries are part of the game, it is also the biggest reason that restricts players from exerting their personal strength. If he could have had a chance to play with another great player, he would have been even better.. At his peak, he battled Kobe Bryant as the NBA's best perimeter player. McGrady somehow got past his knee injury, but he could be the same high-flying scorer as he was after he underwent surgery. 81-80, the Rockets gained the lead and won the game. His scoring is close to a push. Not LeBron, not Wade, not Pierce, not Durant. We want to remember seven All-Star Games in a row. Zion emerged as the number two-ranked team in the country, and McGrady was named a McDonalds All-American, USA Today High School Basketball Player of the Year, and North Carolina's Mr. Basketball by the Associated Press. [67] Qingdao finished the season in last place,[68] with McGrady averaging 25 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. What is a normal forehead temperature for a child. Does weighing machine measure weight or mass? Ive always been partial to the 89 season just because were probably not seeing a 32-8-8 with 54 percent shooting again. In that order. What readiness condition is general quarters? [21][36] Throughout the season, Orlando struggled because of a series of injuries, finishing the year with the worst record in the East despite McGrady winning his second consecutive scoring title. Your best player has to set the tone, without question, Van Gundy explains. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. He didnt have a nasty streak. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information/Your California Privacy Rights/Children's Online Privacy Policy are applicable to you. i mean in toronto he came into the league as a defensive stopper, but he's game has evovled into a much more offensive oriented game. I think most rockets fans are saying a trio of artest . However, McGrady was worth that pick. Ive used this analogy for NBA players before, but the best one is usually called the everything package. Second, he had the miraculous performance of scoring 13 points in 35 seconds. 3 to spotlight Darfur work", "T-Mac has issues with New Orleans as All-Star site", "NBA Hall Of Famer Tracy McGrady Launches App To Sell Trading Cards, Sneakers And Other Memorabilia", "Tracy McGrady, Bill Self, Rebecca Lobo and Muffet McGraw Headline Class", Career statistics and player information from NBA.com, Chinese Basketball Association Official Profile And Stats, "Tracy McGrady wishes he had stayed in Toronto: Feschuk", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tracy_McGrady&oldid=1152542141. [10] He later reflected, "Nobody had a clue who Tracy McGrady was. Tracy was never a leader, but he was a helluva basketball player. The most obvious reason Tracy McGrady might not gain the stardom he deserves is the long history of injuries. (Make no mistake we knew this trade was dreadful even when it happened.) My 4 favorite team hauls from the 2023 NFL Draft. So I started watching McGrady a future Hall of Famer like Duncan, only someone who had never even won a playoff series until he joined San Antonio in April. Click here to watch Jalen & Jacoby, Grantland Features, and video podcasts. [73] On August 22, McGrady led the Americans with 16 points in a 9869 victory over Venezuela. He had a brief career with the Houston Rockets, but it was full of impressive moments. McGrady's greatest skill was his ability to put any and all players in danger of ending up on a poster in the most compromising of positions. He was 2.03 meters tall (and grew to 2.06 meters later) with a wingspan of 2.18 meters. For his first three Houston seasons, it fell upon coach Jeff Van Gundy to supply that leadership by default and as Morey accurately points out, you never want your team drawing its entire personality and toughness from someone wearing a suit. Six years later, he can still remember the crucial sequence (3:30 mark) with the Rockets leading by five, T-Mac found Alston for a wide-open 3, only Alston passed it up, drove to the basket and turned the ball over. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & resort (KS). McGrady got the ball, called a screen to dodge Bruce Bowen. Tracy McGrady disease also known as primary familial brain calcification (PFBC) is a rare genetic neurodegenerative disorder. How should we sum up McGrady's career? If you want to remember that astonishing winning streak as T-Macs Last Stand, thats fine. He entered the NBA straight out of high school and he retired in 2013. Yao Ming seems like a great guy. That its over, basically. The T-Mac 1 kicked off McGrady's T-Mac sneakers line with adidas, and would also be worn by some kid name LeBron, as well as players like . Remember that wed never seen a 6-foot-8 freak who could score as easily as any 6-foot-8 guy not named George Gervin, only while covering the court like Scottie Pippen once did. McGrady could not perform his best as he limped seriously during the game. Remember 32.1 ppg and 22 straight, and dont forget to do a T-Mac YouTube sweep every so often. And they took the Lakers to seven games in the playoffs, which is more than the cocky Nuggets and the disappearing Magic can say for themselves. Tracy McGrady #1 of the Toronto Raptors dunks in the game against the Boston Celtics at the Air Canada Center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, March 3, 2000. After that, injuries continued to rob him of his ability for basketball, until there was nothing left. [5] In a surprise turn of events, the Rockets qualified for the playoffs without McGrady and advanced to the second round, pushing the eventual-champion Los Angeles Lakers to seven games. [83] Many of his contemporaries, including Paul Pierce, have called him one of the most difficult players that they ever had to guard. It has been only 11 games into the season so far and Tracy McGrady is already down with a knee injury. (Note to John Travolta and Robert De Niro: You still owe me $4.99.) [80] In July, he started the Atlantic League All-Star Game, where he recorded his first strikeout. Each successive three pointer, four in all, was more difficult and impressive than the last. Will Iphone 13 Screen Protector Fit Iphone 12, Will Iphone 13 Pro Max Case Fit 14 Pro Max, Will Iphone 12 Screen Protector Fit Iphone 11, Which Of The Following Diseases Suppresses The Body\s Immune System, Which Chronic Disease Is Related To Poor Diet, Which Autoimmune Disease Specifically Affects The Sacroiliac Joint, When Will Azlocillin Be Available For Lyme Disease, When Is It Too Late To Reverse Gum Disease, What Type Of Doctor Treats Wilson\s Disease, Understanding Movies Rating: What it Means and How it Works, Treatment Management of Tracy McGrady Disease, a long hidden disease is pulled from the shadows, Does Health Insurance Cover Car Accident Injuries, how long can you live with graves disease, How Many Towels Fit In A 3.5 Cu.Ft. The 99 Knicks would have done that for McGrady, and vice versa. Tracy Lamar McGrady Jr. (born May 24, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player, best known for his career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). /VCG. "[86] McGrady was also a threat from outside, and would frequently pull up for deep three-pointers over unsuspecting defenders. Tracy McGrady #1 of the Houston Rockets reacts in Game 2 of the NBA playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, April 25, 2005. Dumars peaked for seven seasons (eight for T-Mac) and made six All-Star Games (seven for T-Mac, and he was a marquee attraction in all seven). Not the greatest practice player of course. He played for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). /VCG. He would have had some idiots getting his back we were REALLY nasty that year. [53][54][55] The Jazz again eliminated the Rockets, this time in six games, despite a strong 40-point and 10-rebound performance from McGrady in the decisive Game 6. After McGrady bolted for Orlando, the Raptors won 47 games, made Round 2 and eked a career year out of Vince (27.6 PPG, 46% FG, 25.0 PER). Adelman was a more laid-back coach, Morey explains, someone whod rather delegate to his players. At the time, I thought we could win the title with those three guys. When 76 Yao Ming had a leg injury, T-Mac was forced to step his game up. But he was totally unselfish in the way he played the game. They played together for seven seasons and shared the same family. By all accounts, only Magic surpassed Nique on the list of teammates you would have wanted in the 1980s if you wanted to be around good-looking girls every night. [60], McGrady was still recovering from surgery to begin the 200910 campaign. HOUSTONRockets players held a team press conference Tuesday to express their shock, confusion, and disgust at discovering shooting guard Tracy McGrady masturbating vigorously in the darkness of the team's tape room while viewing recordings of his recent stellar 41-point performance. So so so so stupid. [61] On December 15, he returned to action but was limited to only seven minutes off the bench. [5] In Game 2 of the first round of the postseason, he had another signature performance, completing a "thunderous" dunk over 7'6" Dallas Mavericks center Shawn Bradley and hitting a game-winner for a 113111 victory. Get the latest news, stats, videos, highlights and more about shooting guard Tracy McGrady on ESPN. Bir dahaki sefere yorum yaptmda kullanlmak zere adm, e-posta adresimi ve web site adresimi bu taraycya kaydet. Houston Rockets' fans and most of China must be asking themselves why they haven't gotten their act together to "Free Tibet" yet. It all culminated in this shot for the win with just 1.7 seconds remaining. [41] The sequence included four consecutive three-pointers, one of which was part of a four-point play and the last of which was a game-winner in the final two seconds. I don't respect this kind of guy. On June 25, 1997, 18-year-old high-school player McGrady was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the No. Switch him with Allan Houston and T-Macs entire prime would have been different. They built that Philly team specifically for him: tough defenders and role players who didnt care if Iverson took 30 shots a game. T-Mac and Kenny never actually played together because Kenny refused to report to Toronto after Portland traded him there in 1998. His annual . Persistence. But McGrady wasnt a natural leader. The two collected a total of 63 points between them. Ailing injuries and unfortunate luck have prevented T-Mac back from becoming one of the best players in the league, getting into the Hall of Fame, and most of all, winning a Championship. Spurs fans clogging downtown San Antonio after Game 5, relentlessly honking their horns and creating a festive gridlock. [48] By this time, pressure had started to mount on McGrady to lead the team deep into the postseason, to which he responded, "If we dont get out of the first round, its on me! (True.) In the months following his Toronto departure, an underrated McGrady-Carter beef developed that would have been 10 times more fun in the sports blog/Twitter era. 2.01-meter-tall Malik Rose switched to defend him. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. If things worked out perfectly, Tracy McGrady might've joined them to create a Big Three, 10 years before Pat Riley landed one to call his own. Whoever criticized McGrady for not being aggressive enough or lazy or having no ambition, you may not be wrong, but please at least remember, McGrady used to be a different guy who said the above words. T-Mac ended up injuring his elbow. All rights reserved. Total number of rings on that list? Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Tracy carried his team for the rest of the season, averaging 24.6 points per game, a career high 6.5 assists, 5.3 boards, with 1.3 steals, ending the season with the fifth best record in the league. Free shipping for many products! No joking around, no casual conversing, no stopping, no smiling. [5] Due in part to his frequent absences, the Rockets failed to qualify for the playoffs. On Nov. 15, 2007, T-Mac injured his elbow and an X-ray revealed that it was just a minor strain. Tracy McGrady #1 of the Houston Rockets shoots the ball over Bruce Bowen #12 of the San Antonio Spurs in the game at the Toyota Center, December 9, 2004. Wouldnt they have smoothed over any alpha dog issues? 8 seed Warriors in Round 2, then San Antonio in the Western finals. [46] His health issues and the ascension of Yao Ming, who was having a breakout season, resulted in McGrady temporarily becoming the team's second scoring option. Poor McGrady had no impact on the series, but one T-Mac moment stood out for me. We see you during every timeout and every layup line. A parent using operant conditioning is most likely to, How long does it take an s-wave to travel 4,000 km. And now he's announced. I will let you make the follow-up joke here. This time it looked like a serious condition. Kurt Thomas, Charlie Ward, and Chris Childs gave the Knicks a nasty streak, and new arrival Latrell Sprewell brought enough brashness for a 60-man roster. [7] During his final year at Auburndale, McGrady posted averages of 23.1 points, 12.2 rebounds,[8] 4 assists, and 4.9 blocks per game. Ming grows over them. Report: Jimmy Kimmel, Cousin Sal, and Bryan Curtis on Mayweather-Pacquiao, Grantland Summer Movie Preview: Adult Movies, Grantland Summer Movie Preview: Summer Movie Confessions, Grantland Summer Movie Preview: Burning Questions, Grantland Summer Movie Preview: Talk Me Into This, Grantland Summer Movie Preview: Chris vs. Chris vs. Chris vs. Chris, Russell, the Creator: Westbrooks Underrated Playmaking, The Laughs, Pathos, and Overwhelming Talent of Jan Hooks, World Series Preview: Five Questions for Games Three and Four, 50 Scenes That Do Not Appear in the X-Files Revival. Even THAT situation was better than anything Tracy McGrady ever had. On this night, Duncan hadnt emerged from the locker room yet. Pierce has the 2002 playoff run and the 2008 Finals MVP. Seriously, how many?. [25] His effort level, leadership, and toughness were also questioned at times. T-Mac injured his left knee but he returned in the second half. During the 2004 Athens Olympics, Yao carried the Chinese flag during the opening ceremony, which he said was a long dream come true. Considering we stuck Joe Dumars in there, in the words of Mr. Big, absahfuckinlutely. [74] McGrady sat out the August 26 game due to a back injury. The NBA player has a rare disease of getting injured often. 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