When many debate the best players of the 2000’s, the same names are often heard: Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, LeBron James and others. One player often gets left out of the conversation, and that’s Tracy McGrady. During his prime, McGrady was arguably the most dominant scorer in the league. Here is a look back on T-Mac’s career, and how he should be remembered by NBA fans.
Toronto Raptors (1997-2000)
With the ninth pick in the 1997 NBA draft, the Toronto Raptors selected Tracy McGrady, a 6-foot-8 wing straight out of high school. McGrady’s distant cousin, Vince Carter would be drafted the following year by the expansion team. In its third year, the Raptors franchise hoped the duo would make them a formidable team in the NBA. After a rookie year that didn’t feature much playing time, McGrady soon earned more minutes, and was inserted into the starting lineup.
The duo of Carter and McGrady, known for their dunks and athleticism, would lead Toronto to the playoffs in 2000. Despite getting swept by the New York Knicks in the first round, McGrady would improve as a player during the season. He averaged 15 points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks per game, in what would be his last season in Toronto.
McGrady would continue to elevate his game with his new team, the Orlando Magic. During his tenure there, he would start to become a household name as a scorer in the league.
Orlando Magic (2000-2004)
After Toronto’s playoff exit, McGrady signed a six-year, $68 million contract with the Orlando Magic, returning to his home state. Joining forces with then five-time all-star Grant Hill, McGrady quickly developed his offensive game even further. He would go on to average nearly 27 points per game by the end of the season, and increased his rebound and assist averages as well. McGrady would earn an All-Star appearance this year, the first of seven in a row. An All-Star selection, a second-team all-NBA selection and a Most Improved Player Award made for a great first season with the Magic.
McGrady had to lead the team more than anticipated, as Grant Hill played only 14 games on the season. The Magic would make the playoffs as the seventh seed, and would lose to the Bucks in a sweep. The following seasons, while McGrady would continue to grow into a top five player in the league, would be disappointing for the Magic.
The 2002 season ended with McGrady putting up similarly dominant numbers as the year before. However, the season would end in another sweep, this time at the hands of the Charlotte Hornets, led by Baron Davis.
In 2003, McGrady would average 32 points, a career-high, and enough to earn him his first of two consecutive scoring titles. The Magic entered the playoffs as the eighth seed, and took a surprise 3-1 lead on the Detroit Pistons.
“It feels good to get to the second round,” McGrady said after a game four win. But he and the Magic could not hold on, and lost the series in seven games.
In his final season in Orlando, nothing besides T-Mac’s individual performance went right. Head coach Doc Rivers was fired after a 1-10 start, and would eventually coach the Boston Celtics during multiple playoff runs. The Magic finished the season with the worst record in the Eastern Conference, and soon, McGrady would find himself playing on a new team with a better chance to compete.
Houston Rockets (2004-2010)
In June of 2004, the Houston Rockets acquired McGrady in a seven-player swap that sent Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley to the Magic. The blockbuster trade paired McGrady with center Yao Ming, who was already an All-Star himself. By this time, McGrady was known around the league as a top-tier talent; a high-flyer who could also hit shots from beyond the arc.
With high expectations, the duo was supposed to lead the team to post-season greatness. While exciting at times, McGrady’s six years in Houston were all too often plagued by injury.
The first season with the Rockets showed McGrady had not lost any offensive prowess. McGrady averaged 25.7 points, and led Houston to third place in the west. T-Mac would also put on one of the greatest comeback performances in recent history this year, scoring an incredible 13 points in 35 seconds to beat the San Antonio Spurs.
Despite the new location and new team, McGrady once again failed to reach the second round of the playoffs. Noticing a pattern? The Dallas Mavericks would beat the Rockets in a seven-game series.
The 2005-2006 season is when the injuries really started to affect McGrady. He played only 47 games during the season because of recurring back spasms. Despite this, McGrady still made the all-star team, performing in front of his home crowd in Houston. The Rockets would eventually miss the playoffs.
“If we don’t get out of the first round, it’s on me,” said McGrady the following year. The forward, now a superstar in the league, had mounting pressure to take the Rockets deep in the post-season. Minor injuries lingered for McGrady, but Ming had a fantastic year in 2007, averaging a career-high25 points. Still, Houston was unable to break out of the first round, losing to Deron Williams’ Utah Jazz in seven games.
In his last season without a major injury, McGrady would lead the Rockets to a 22-game winning streak. Ming was injured during portions of the year. McGrady was banged up at times, but still played 66 games on the season. McGrady, still a fantastic scorer, would earn the Rockets the fifth seed in the west. A rematch with the Jazz would end in six games this time around. It was the last season McGrady would average over 20 points.
Surgery, final years, and retirement
McGrady had surgery on his shoulder and knee during the next offseason. In February, he would have another surgery and miss the rest of the season. Without McGrady, Ron Artest, Louis Scola and Aaron Brooks, along with Ming, secured the Rockets the fifth seed again. The team would surprisingly make it out of the first round without T-Mac, and push Kobe Bryant’s Lakers to a seven game series. The next season, McGrady was still recovering from injury, and the Rockets shut him down after six games in hopes of keeping his value for a trade. During his last two seasons in Houston, McGrady played only 41 games.
McGrady was dealt to the Knicks in February of 2010, and would then play for the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks the years after. While a veteran, McGrady wouldn’t return to his old scoring ways following the surgeries. During these three seasons, T-Mac never averaged over 10 points per game.
Following a season in China where he averaged stats reminiscent of his prime, he signed with the Spurs in time for the 2013 playoffs. While getting almost no playing time, this was a chance for McGrady to add a championship title to his resumé. A ring would have ended his career on a high note, but LeBron James and the Miami Heat came in the way of that.
McGrady announced his retirement from basketball in August of 2013. Now an analyst for ESPN, McGrady’s talents were recognized in September of 2017, as he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
“This is my championship,” said McGrady on Sirius XM radio after the ceremony.
Retrospect
Looking back on McGrady’s career, it is easy to understand why he isn’t immediately thought of in the same class of Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson. Failing to lead a team beyond the first round is a blemish on T-Mac’s career. While post-season success is a big part of how we judge players, it shouldn’t be the only metric.
A lot of athletic success is just being in the right place at the right time. Had McGrady avoided both minor and major injuries, who knows where the Rockets could have gone.
McGrady was one of the best players of his era, and arguably one of the best scorers of all time. There is a reason people are so nostalgic about early-mid 2000’s basketball. Players like T-Mac made the game so exciting to watch.
NBA fans should remember McGrady as a player who was not only great on the court, but incredibly humble as well. A well deserved Hall of Famer, T-Mac should mentioned in the same category as the other superstars of the 2000’s. So next time you’re debating the best NBA players of the last 15-20 years, don’t forget to give Tracy McGrady his credit. Seven All-Star appearances, two scoring titles and multiple All-NBA selections, during a career shortened by injury, deserves more recognition.
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