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| Houston Rockets | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | May 24, 1979 Bartow, Florida |
| Nationality | USA |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 223 lb (101 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NBA draft | 1997: 9 overall |
| Selected by the Toronto Raptors | |
| Playing career | 1997–present |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| 6-time All-Star 5-time All-NBA Selection 2-time NBA Scoring Champion 2001 NBA Most Improved Player | |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Tracy Lamar McGrady, Jr. (born May 24, 1979 in Bartow, Florida), nicknamed T-Mac, is an All-Star professional basketball player currently playing for the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association. McGrady was ranked #75 on SLAM magazine's Top 75 NBA Players of all time in 2003. He has played for the Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic.
High school career
McGrady plays both shooting guard and small forward, and is also one of the first players who went straight from high school (Mt. Zion Christian Academy) to the NBA without attending college. He created national buzz after his performance in the Adidas ABCD Camp, to which the best high school players in the nation are invited annually. He was named high school Player of the Year by USA Today.
NBA Career
Toronto Raptors (1997-2000)
Due in part to his strong showing at the ABCD camp, McGrady was selected ninth overall in the 1997 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors. Chicago Bulls GM Jerry Krause had arranged a draft-day trade to send Scottie Pippen to Toronto for the 9th overall pick, which he would have used to take McGrady. Krause decided not to make the deal when Michael Jordan threatened to retire if it was made.
The teammate and cousin (by marriage) of Vince Carter, McGrady often found himself in Carter's shadow. While Carter was responsible for scoring, it was McGrady's job to be the team's defensive stopper and ball distributor. The duo of Carter and McGrady led the Raptors to their first playoff berth in the 2000 Playoffs, but they were swept by the New York Knicks in 3 games. The two also participated in the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
Orlando Magic (2000-2004)
The Toronto Raptors made a sign-and-trade deal which sent McGrady to the Orlando Magic in exchange for a first round draft pick in 2000. In the 2000–01 season, he won the NBA Most Improved Player Award and was selected as a starter in the All-Star Game. In the 2002–03 season, McGrady captured the NBA scoring title, averaging 32.1 points per game, becoming the youngest player to do so since the NBA/ABA merger. In the 2003–04 season, he once again captured the NBA scoring title, averaging 28 points per game and set an NBA career high when he scored 62 points against the Washington Wizards on March 10, 2004. With this performance, he became the 4th player in the past 12 years to score over 60 points in a game. Despite McGrady's personal accolades, the Magic had failed to reach the second round in the playoffs, and in his fourth season as a Magic, problems with team chemistry, coaching, and management forced Orlando into a downward spiral. The season ended with Orlando failing to reach the playoffs and an impatient McGrady seeking a possible trade.
Personal
His wife, Clarenda Harris, has a daughter, Layla Clarice, and a son, Laymen Lamar who was born December 27, 2005 during the 82-74 loss against Utah Jazz in which he left during halftime to see Harris going into labor. Tracy and Clarenda were married on September 12, 2006.
During the NBA All-Star Weekend which was held in Houston, Tracy McGrady had mentioned that he was struggling to cope in the NBA, facing friend and family problems which were not specifically mentioned. Despite this, McGrady still performed well during the All-Star game, being the top scorer with 36 points and also scoring a basket from half-court.
Player profile
While McGrady has often been compared to Kobe Bryant due in part to their similar statistics, McGrady's skill set and style of play set him apart from other players. He is well known for his head fakes, his crossover dribble, and his ability to create plays off of a screen, whereas Bryant is known for his explosive first step and more of a slasher type of play style. During the 2002-2003, the NBA tried to promote many NBA all-stars and compare them with past greats. The NBA compared McGrady to silky smooth game play of the finger roll master, George Gervin .
Due to his recurring back spasms and recent injuries, some people have speculated that McGrady might not be as explosive as before; however, he remains as one of the NBA's top scorers and more popular players.
McGrady visited Seoul (South Korea), Guangzhou (China), Manila (Philippines) and Hong Kong in Summer 2006 to promote his exclusive Asia T-Mac 1 shoe.
NBA career achievements
- 2-time NBA scoring champion: 2003 (32.1), 2004 (28.0)
- 6-time NBA All-Star: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
- 5-time All-NBA:
- First Team: 2002, 2003
- Second Team: 2001, 2004
- Third Team: 2005
- NBA Most Improved Player Award: 2001
- Scored 13 points in 33 seconds on Dec. 9th 2004
Orlando Magic franchise records
- Most points in one game with 62 (March 10, 2004 vs. Washington Wizards)
- Most points in one half with 37 in the first half (March 9, 2003 vs. Denver Nuggets)
- Most points in one quarter with 25 in the second quarter (March 9, 2003 vs. Denver Nuggets)
- Most free throws made in one game with 18 (December 25, 2002 vs. Detroit Pistons)
- Most points in a playoff game with 46 (in Game 2 of the 2003 Eastern Conference playoffs, First Round vs. Detroit Pistons)
Career records
- Career 40+ Point Games (Regular Season): 38
- Career 50+ Point Games (Regular Season): 4
- Career 60+ Point Games (Regular Season): 1
- Career triple-doubles (Regular Season): 2
- Career 40+ Point Games (Postseason): 3
- 13 points in 33 seconds(regular season)
Trivia
- McGrady has a lazy eye. It is his left eye and drifts to the left.
- McGrady has three McFarlane Toys action figures based on him.
- McGrady has signed a lifetime deal with Adidas and has his own line of clothing and shoes with the company. His latest shoe is the T-Mac 6 and was expected to release on October 21, 2006.
- McGrady features on the cover of the NBA Live 07 video game.
- McGrady was drafted in the 4th round by the Raleigh Cougars of the 1997 USBL.
- McGrady was one of the NBA superstars to contribute in the Hurricane Katrina relief game.
- McGrady is featured in Mike Jones' music video "Flossin'"
- McGrady's home in Orlando is featured in the videogame NBA Ballers.
- McGrady allowed a young child to spend a day with him at his house as a part of ESPN's "My Wish Series" where children with life-threatening illnesses are given their wish to spend a day with their favorite sports superstar.
- Kevin Garnett claimed that Tracy is in fact 6'10", two-inches taller than his listed NBA height. This claim was made in an edition of basketball magazine Kicks, which is a special edition of SLAM magazine.
References
- http://people.aol.com/people/article/0,26334,1534671,00.html
- http://www.nba.com/allstar2003/then_now_gervin_mcgrady.html
- http://www.usbasket.com/USB/draft97.asp
External links
- ClutchFans.net Tracy McGrady Profile - Houston Rocket Fan Site
- Tracy McGrady's official website
- Tracy McGrady - vid highlights
- Houston Rockets Website
- Tracy's MySpace Page
| NBA Live series | |
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| Games | |
| NBA Playoffs series | |
| Related games | |