Often considered one of the greatest scorers of all time, Tracy McGrady doesn’t get enough recognition among younger fans. His lack of playoff success was always a big stain on his legacy, being named alongside Allen Iverson as some of the best scorers never to win an NBA championship.
But make no mistake, Tracy McGrady was a menace in his prime. He was an unstoppable offensive machine who could score from all three levels, a perennial presence in All-Star Games, and one of the most gifted athletes to ever lace them up. Injuries and bad supporting casts prevented him from reaching his ceiling, but analysts believe he would be tailor-made to thrive in today’s NBA.
McGrady rose to stardom in 2000, up to the point that Milwaukee Bucks then-GM Ernie Grunfeld once deemed him “one of the top five talents in the NBA.” He went straight from high school to the NBA and turned the Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, and Houston Rockets into must-watch television during his prime.
Even if he was never a champion, McGrady’s journey was destined to end in the Basketball Hall of Fame. And the fact that he still averaged 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game despite all the injuries speaks volumes of the kind of talent he was. Here, we’ll get to know a little more about his history, his ascent to the top, his fall from grace, and even Tracy McGrady’s net worth.
Tracy McGrady – Early Life
Tracy Lamar McGrady Jr. was born in Bartow, Florida, on May 24, 1979. He was raised by his mom, Melanise Williford, and his grandmother, Roberta. Melanise raised McGrady to be a standout athlete from an early age, excelling at both baseball and basketball at Auburndale High School.
McGrady, however, wasn’t a highly-recruited prospect in Florida despite posting impressive averages at Auburndale, which is why he decided to transfer to Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, NC to play his senior season.
Following a breakout performance at the Adidas ABCD Camp, T-Mac started drawing league-wide attention from scouts. He averaged 25.7 points, 7.7 assists, 8.7 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, and 2.8 steals per game, and was pretty close to committing to the University of Kentucky after that successful career in high school basketball. However, as a projected lottery pick, he decided to take his talents straight to the majors and declare for the NBA Draft instead.
Tracy McGrady – Entering The NBA
Despite skipping college and being just 18 years old, the Toronto Raptors still took McGrady with the 9th overall pick of the 1997 NBA Draft. McGrady appeared mostly off the bench and barely saw the floor during his rookie season, struggling to adapt to Toronto’s blistering cold and cope with loneliness.
Following Darrell Walker’s firing, newly-appointed coach Butch Carter vowed to increase McGrady’s minutes as long as he started to work out harder. McGrady began playing more minutes and showcasing his high-scoring skills, showing glimpses of what was to come.
The Raptors then drafted Vince Carter to put together one of the most explosive and promising one-two punches in the league. By the 1999-00 season. McGrady shifted from the second unit to the starting lineup and helped take the Raptors to their first playoff berth in franchise history.
Tracy McGrady – Breaking Out With Orlando Magic
McGrady grew sick and tired of being under Carter’s shadow and had a strained relationship with the Toronto Raptors. He signed with the Orlando Magic to play alongside Grant Hill, and McGrady stated that great things were to come for the Florida franchise.
Hill failed to stay healthy and the Orlando Magic leaned heavily on T-Mac. Playing as their starting shooting guard, he earned his first All-Star nod. His numbers went on the rise nearly instantly, up to the point where McGrady won the Most Improved Player award.
Two years later, he won his first scoring title thanks to a whopping average of 32.1 points per game. Notably, he would’ve still ranked 7th in points per game that season if you took away the 7.7 free throws he knocked down every night. That’s the kind of scorer prime Tracy McGrady was.
However, despite McGrady winning multiple accolades, Orlando struggled and finished the season with a losing record for most of his tenure with the team. There, he made the All-NBA First Team for the first time and led the league in scoring twice. However, that year when he won his second consecutive scoring title, they still finished with the worst record in the league.
Tracy McGrady – A Star With The Rockets
After a rift with the front office and failing to get out of the first round of the playoffs, the Orlando Magic traded him to the Houston Rockets in a massive deal. This would be where he’d have some of the most memorable moments of his NBA career, thriving next to Yao Ming and dominating in the regular season.
The Houston Rockets had one of the best scoring one-two punches in the league. Two All-Stars that would eventually end up in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer. McGrady led the team in scoring more often than not, even sealing perhaps the greatest comeback victory ever seen in the NBA by scoring 13 points in the final 35 seconds, including a four-point play and a game-winner.
McGrady was often praised by the home crowd and continued to be an All-Star with the Houston Rockets. But injuries derailed his career once again and his team playoff record wasn’t exactly something to brag about. The Rockets never managed to make it past the first round despite his impressive scoring outbursts in the postseason.
Tracy McGrady – New York Knicks And The Beginning Of The End
A string of never-ending injuries eventually forced the Houston Rockets to reconsider whether McGrady was the right guy for their future. He was on the shelf to begin the 2009-10 season and was shut down shortly after his comeback as the Rockets wanted to find him a new home.
Eventually, after just six games, they sent him to the New York Knicks as a part of a three-team trade also involving the Kings. That was the beginning of the end of his NBA career, making just 24 appearances with them that same season.
T-Mac later joined the Detroit Pistons. There, he’d come off the bench more often than not. Following another disappointing season, McGrady signed with the Atlanta Hawks and averaged career lows in nearly every major stat. Then, after the season, McGrady traveled to China to play for the Qingdao Eagles, a team he’d thrive on but, just like it happened in the NBA, he’d fail to lead to the playoffs.
Tracy McGrady – A Failed Comeback
Following a brief stint in the Chinese Basketball Association, McGrady once again tried to win an NBA Championship. He joined the San Antonio Spurs right before the 2013 playoffs and, albeit he barely played, the Spurs provided Mcgrady the chance to play postseason minutes beyond the first round. The Spurs eventually advanced to the ultimate stage.
Sadly for him, the Spurs couldn’t get past LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals in seven games, so he retired ringless anyway. Ironically, the Spurs went back to the Finals and won the championship the next year after he retired. It just wasn’t meant to be.
Are Tracy McGrady And Vince Carter related?
In one of the biggest coincidences in NBA history, Tracy McGrady and Carter are indeed related, more specifically second cousins. Carter’s grandmother’s father-in-law is McGrady’s grandmother’s brother. However, they didn’t grow up together nor were aware of that while they were growing up.
Tracy McGrady’s Net Worth: How Rich Is He?
As of now, Tracy McGrady’s net worth sits at $75 million. He’s got multiple estates, including a 12,000+ square feet property in Orlando. He’s also a huge fan of luxury cars, especially Mercedes-Benz. Throughout his career, he made around $162,978,278 in salary.
How Many Teams Did Tracy McGrady Play For?
From 2000 to 2013, Tracy McGrady played for the Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Houston pockets, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, Qingdao Eagles (CBA), and San Antonio Spurs.
How Many Game-Winners Does Tracy McGrady have?
Tracy McGrady has nine career game-winning shots, which is good for 21st in league history. He shot 9/32 (.281) in game-winners and was 8/8 from the free-throw line with 3 assists and one turnover in that situation. Despite some of his critics stating that he wasn’t made for big moments, he was still one of the deadliest scorers when the game was on the line.
What Were Tracy McGrady’s Injuries?
Back spams and shoulder injuries haunted T-Mac for the most of his career, often forcing him to miss games. However, the biggest ailment of his career was a left knee injury that took away most of his explosiveness. He was never the same since the 2009-10 season, his last with the Rockets. Most insiders consider him one of the greatest scorers of all time and wonder what could’ve been of him if it wasn’t for so many injuries.
Tracy McGrady – Awards And Accolades
Throughout his remarkable career, Tracy McGrady was a seven-time NBA All-Star, made two All-NBA First Team, three All-NBA Second Team, and two All-NBA Third Team. He was also a two-time Scoring Champion, was named NBA’s Most Improved Player, was a CBA All-Star and had his jersey retired by the Qingdao Eagles, was named Mr. Basketball USA, a McDonald’s All-American, and made the First-team Parade All-American. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
Tracy McGrady – Post Playing Career
Tracy McGrady and his wife CleRenda Harris have three sons. McGrady has made regular appearances as an NBA analyst on ESPN. Moreover, he’s focused on multiple business endeavors, such as the SOLEcial APP, Dasdak, and Blue-04. He’s also an investor on Minor League Baseball team Biloxi Shuckers and had a very brief stint as a pitcher in 2014. Also, McGrady recruited NBA players to participate in the ‘Enough Project’, helping struggling youngsters from Africa get to American middle schools.
During his playing days, McGrady had a reputation for his laidback personality and constant desire to sleep. He was even called ‘The Big Sleep’ after waking up right before tip-off and scoring 41 points anyway. Also, he claims that he slept 20 hours a day when he was having a bad time in his rookie season. All things considered, it seems like T-Mac could’ve and should’ve been way better than he was. But even despite all the negatives, he’ll still go down as one of the most talented players to ever set foot on a basketball hardwood.
