[94], McGrady is also the second cousin once removed of basketball player Vince Carter through Carter's step-great-grandfather; the two therefore are not related by blood. /VCG. Tracy McGrady is one of the greatest scorers in the history of the National Basketball Association. 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. Odds and lines subject to change. [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. Teenagers like McGrady and Kobe started jumping into the NBA right from high school, with wildly mixed results. If T-Mac's injuries continue to occur he won't be able to play like the super-star player we know and love anymore. [27], For the 200102 season, McGrady averaged 25.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game, earning his second All-NBA Team selection, this time to the All-NBA First Team. Since Rockets GM Daryl Morey crossed paths with McGrady for three-plus years in Houston, I called him to pick his brain. I knew his career had been over for a while. Ziller: Who has the toughest coaching job? [13], Before the lockout-shortened 199899 season, the Raptors drafted McGrady's distant cousin Vince Carter. McGrady was 8-25 in field goals and 1-8 from the 3-point line. Think about what teams get now when theyre sign-and-trading superstar free agents youre lucky to get a second-rounder and thats it. Heading into that summer, McGradys name suddenly started landing in the same sentence with fellow free agents Tim Duncan and Grant Hill. What Is Tracy Mcgrady Disease - FalconHealth 87 Magic: 23.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 12.2 apg, 36.3 mpg, 52-21-85%, 2.2 stocks, 27.0 PER, 15.9 WS. In that respect, he was the anti-Kobe. Great, gracious basketball players don't grow on trees. McGrady is a seven-time NBA All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, two-time NBA scoring champion, and winner of the NBA Most Improved Player Award in 2001. Just call it the NBAs WTF era. McGrady made people better he was a great, great passer. McGrady starts vs. Cavs despite illness - Chron Unfortunately there is no cure for Tracy McGrady disease treatment is mainly supportive. T-Mac ended up injuring his elbow. Even though the Raptors were building something special, McGrady bolted for seemingly greener pastures in Orlando. [86] On the defensive side of the ball, McGrady's effort was less consistent, but he demonstrated the ability to raise his level in meaningful games, such as during the playoffs against the Mavericks, where he often drew the assignment of guarding Dirk Nowitzki. McGrady was a scoring machine, averaging 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game in the NBA, which has a grueling 82-game regular season, plus playoffs. 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. Well never know. "[49] Houston would eventually lose the series in seven games, and at his postgame press conference following the Game 7 defeat, McGrady, still visibly emotional from the loss, said "I tried, man, I tried. The team ended up losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Milwaukee Bucks. Duncan only takes shots that he plans on using in games. [30] On March 8, 2002, in one of the best games of his career, McGrady scored a season high 50 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 9996 win over the Washington Wizards. 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. The injury hurt his athleticism, but he was about to make the most legendary performance in NBA history. So who did everyone consider the teams leader during your 22-game winning streak? I asked Daryl. [83] At his peak, McGrady was an explosive player capable of finishing at the rim over the defense;[85] in a piece for ESPN, Zach Lowe reminisced, "He glided through the lane, crouched into traffic, and accelerated suddenly -- almost violently -- through a forest of slower-moving forms, and to the rim. [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. Maybe Penny Hardaway is available to come in and coach. Dumars made one second-team All-NBA and two third-team All-NBAs; T-Mac made two first-teams, three second-teams and two third-teams. Then in 2000 summer, the Orlando Magic landed him with a six-year, 67.5-million-U.S.-dollar deal. Now, in retirement, the NBA Hall of Famer is aiming for a slam . We always feel relieved when they retire, allowing their memories to prevail on YouTube and NBA TVs Hardwood Classics. The average Small Forward is at 0.7 blocks, 1.5 steals, 4.0 turnovers, respectively. Thats when we wish they could see what were seeing. Then injuries hit him again and took his speed. The once-prolific scorer was averaging less than 10 points per game the final five seasons of his career, and played in just two games during the Spurs' run to the NBA Finals. Jason Kidd wants Deron Williams to pass more, Dwight reportedly wanted Kobe amnestied, DAntoni fired, Ranking the top 100 NBA players of 2017. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. T-Macs best teammates were Yao Ming, Grant Hill (played 46 games in four years with McGrady), Mike Miller, a washed-up Dikembe Mutombo, a really washed-up Patrick Ewing, and a really, really, really washed-up Shawn Kemp. Despite this, he retired from the game at age 30. 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. We take a look at the best moments from Tracy McGrady's incredible 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. Michael Jordan was truly the greatest basketball player of his time and arguably the greatest ever. I hope that Yao comes back without surgery and is able to play. (True.) The evolution of LeBron James Standard Hero, above Lead Media - Yahoo News I guarantee thats the only 3 he made in the game, and maybe all series, Van Gundy says now, and hed be right. And McGrady symbolized it. The two of them had a chance to bring the Magic to the playoffs, and possibly take it all the way. It was T-Mac. McGrady caught the ball over Tony Parker's head, dribbled to the right wing, pulled up over Bowen, splash, 80-78. [5] CBA statistics per CBA Data Center. Thats why weve spent the past seven years grading LeBron James on a curve. Heres our first projection of the 2024 NFL Draft class. In his third NBA season, he showed the league the infinite potential within him. Read up on Tracy McGrady's biography, career, awards and more on ESPN. Thats the irony, right? Unfortunately, McGrady wrecked his career postseason scoring average by getting just 25 points in 12 games over his last two seasons for Atlanta and San Antonio. After Morey fired Van Gundy before the 2007-08 season, new hire Rick Adelman was hoping McGrady would take on a bigger leadership role. The two collected a total of 63 points between them. Shaquille ONeal said Yao was very agile. Ray Allen making the single greatest shot Ive ever seen in person to steal San Antonios championship away. TOTALLY unselfish. They began their careers as second cousins and were even called Siamese twins by their teammate Dee Brown. BM publishes unique and independent coverage on international and European affairs. Reminiscing on what could have been in Rockets' Tracy McGrady - Chron We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Twenty-four. Unfortunately, the injury cost the Rockets their chance to qualify for the playoffs. His final seasons in the NBA were plagued by injuries, and he retired in 2013 following a brief stint with the Qingdao DoubleStar Eagles of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and the San Antonio Spurs. [98] Upon retiring, McGrady shifted his focus to his business investments, including Dasdak, a Washington, D.C.-based technology company, and Blue-04, a bottled water company in Florida. T. 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. Tracy McGrady was a superstar who always seemed to find himself on the wrong team with the wrong players. You probably figured out that Player B was Kobe. Tim Duncan, the best player on the best team, would ultimately win the award, with Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett finishing higher than McGrady in the voting. Smart as hell. Many Faces of UTHealth: Tracy McGrady still has game, thanks to our What will be the compound interest on a sum of rupees 31250 for 2 years at 12% per annum if the interest is compounded at monthly? His unfortunate luck prevented T-Mac from becoming one of the best players in the league. [90] In 2021, to commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary The Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named McGrady as the 55th greatest player in NBA history. Tracy McGrady #1 of the Orlando Magic drives towards the rim in the game against the New Orleans Hornets at the TD Waterhouse Centre in Orlando, Florida, October 15, 2002.