J-Speaks: McGrady Officially A Hall of Famer

A little over 20 years ago, then part owner and Executive Vice President of the Toronto Raptors Isiah Thomas drafted a relative unknown who put his name on the map after making a name for himself at a well-known basketball camp. He would go on to become one of the best scorers and game changers in the NBA. That overshadowed the fact that the teams he played on did not have a lot of success in the postseason, and he had to deal with injuries that robbed him of some even more great seasons. He had enough of an impact that he was able to receive the greatest honor one could ever have bestowed upon him. 

On Friday Sept. 8, former forward/guard Tracy McGrady, who played 16 seasons with the Raptors, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, and San Antonio Spurs was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 

At age 37, McGrady was the youngest player in this year’s class 11-person class, that consisted of the all-time winningest boys’ high school coach Robert Hughes; Notre Dame women’s head coach Muffet McGraw; University of Kansas men’s head coach Bill Self; Nick Galis; George McGinnis; Mannie Jackson; Tom Jernstedt, and the late great Jerry Krause. 

In his 16-year career, McGrady averaged 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. He was a seven-time All-Star; seven-time All-NBA selection, making the First-Team in 2002, 2003, Second-Team in 2001, 2004, and 2007, and the Third-Team in 2005, and 2008; two-time scoring champion (2003, 2004) and the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2001. 

The current ESPN NBA analyst found out that he was a finalist when the host on “NBA: The Jump,” Rachel Nichols said to him on the Dec. 21, 2016 taping of the show. McGrady, who nickname is T-Mac reaction was, “No way.” 

“I don’t know what to say…It’s great to be a nominee, and be on that ballot, and we’ll see what happens. Fingers crossed.” 

This past April on the weekend of the Final Four, McGrady found out that he was chosen to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. 

“This is something I didn’t see happening when I first started from high school to the NBA, and look where we are now,” he said during that Friday afternoon’s addition of “NBA: The Jump.” 

“It’s a great surprise that here I am first ballot. To be mentioned with those guys. I think about all the people that’s played this game. Thousands have come through this and only 400 are inducted into this Hall of Fame. So, it’s very special.” 

This all would had not been possible if not for former sports marketing executive for Nike, Adidas, and Reebok John Paul Vincent “Sonny” Vaccaro and his wife Pam. 

He was the founder of the ABCD All America Camp, which was an elite showcase of the best high school basketball players in the country. That camp ran from 1984 to 2007.

It was here that McGrady’s name got put on the map and he went from an unknown in the basketball world to a name no one could stop talking about. 

“Nobody had a clue who Tracy McGrady was. ‘Sonny’ Vaccaro gave me that platform, and I played against the best players in the world at that time. I left that camp the No. 1 player in the nation, 175 to No. 1,” McGrady said about that moment. 

In his senior season at Mt. Zion Christian Academy in Durham, NC in 1996-97, McGrady helped lead his school to the No. 2 ranking in the country, and he was named a McDonald’s All-American, the national Player of the Year by USA Today, and North Carolina’s Mr. Basketball by the Associated Press. 

McGrady had consideration of playing collegiately for the University of Kentucky, but decided to enter the NBA draft once he learned that he was a projected lottery pick. 

That June, the Raptors and Thomas, who welcomed McGrady into the Hall of Fame selected the ‘6’8’’ swingman with the No. 9 overall pick. 

“Zeke, I don’t know what you saw brother, but back in 1997 you recognized my talent. Scrawny, 18-year-old coming out of high school. I appreciate that,” McGrady said of Thomas in his acceptance speech. “I appreciate you having me fulfill my childhood dream by drafting me ninth overall. That meant the world to me.”  

Thomas, who is now an analyst for NBATV said on their Red Carpet Show two Friday nights back that “At that time, I wanted to play position less basketball, and McGrady did not have a position. He just did everything. He scored the basketball. He rebounded the basketball, but more importantly he assisted.” 

All with his array of skills, McGrady had athleticism that scoring came to him very easily from his ability to get so high on his jump shot that it very rarely got blocked. He had an ability to put the ball down on the floor that attacking the rim was as easy as counting one, two, three. When he got to the rim and you were in his path, he did everything to come at you and posturize you. 

Now fellow Hall of Famer Alonzo Mourning, class of 2014 described McGrady’s dunks that he had in his career as extremely explosive. That he had an ability to loll you to sleep, and before you knew it, he was jumping over the top of you and throwing it down. 

After a slow beginning with the Raptors in his rookie season, where he played an average of just 13 minutes per game under then head coach Darrell Walker, McGrady really shined two years later alongside cousin, and All-Star Vince Carter. He averaged 15.4 points, 6.3 boards and 1.9 blocks in helping the team win 45 games and make the playoffs for the first time in team history, but got were swept by the New York Knicks in the opening round 3-0. 

“T-Mac wanted to be great. He wanted to dominate, and he wanted to be the king on the court,” Carter, an eight-time All-Star and current Sacramento King said of his cousin. “Young. Athletic. Wanting to just destroy people. That’s what it was.” 

There was a time in the early stages of McGrady’s career that what lied ahead seemed like a mile away, or not even in viewing sight. That is what his first coach said of the perennial All-Star in his rookie year. 

“Firing that coach my rookie year that criticized me. Said I wasn’t going to be in the league beyond three years,” McGrady said of Walker then. 

He asked Thomas on the stage that night, “Was he wrong?” Thomas with his trademark smile said, “He was wrong.” McGrady followed by saying, “Boy was he wrong. Boy was he wrong.” 

Unfortunately, McGrady decided in the summer of 1999 to take his talents back home to the “sunshine state,” where he signed a six-year $67.5 million deal with the Orlando Magic. The team also signed All-Star Grant Hill, who now currently is an NBA Analyst for NBATV/NBA on TNT. 

Because of a lingering foot injury, Hill played in just 47 games in his tenure with the Magic, which forced McGrady into a larger leadership and scoring role than anticipated, but he emerged as one of the best scorers in the league at that time, with averages of 26.8, 25.6, 32.1 and 28.0. He also averaged in those four seasons, 7.5, a career-best 7.9, 6.5 and 6.0 rebounds; 4.6, 5.3, 5.5, and 5.5 assists, and 1.5, 1.6, 1.7 and 1.4 steals. 

“I remember playing against the [Washington] Wizards and he had 30-plus from that moment on,” Hill said of McGrady’s night that he scored a career-high, and Magic franchise record of 62 points in a win versus the Wizards late in the 2003-04 campaign. “It was like, ‘I’m on the map. I’m here. I’m in that conversation as one of the top players.” 

Future Hall of Famer, who also was drafted out of high school, five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant said of playing against McGrady was like trying to sole a puzzle. That he had to invent schemes to try and slow him down, because the regular ones failed. 

While he put great individual numbers, and won the Most Improved Player in 2001, and won two scoring titles, the Magic never got out of the First-Round, losing to the Milwaukee Bucks 3-1 in 2001; the Charlotte Hornets in 2002, and the Eastern Conference runner-up Detroit Pistons in seven games. 

On July 29, 2004, McGrady, Juwan Howard, current head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers Tyronn Lue, and Reece Gaines were dealt to the Rockets as part of a seven-player deal that sent Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley, and Kelvin Cato to the Magic. 

McGrady, and fellow Hall of Famer Yao Ming form a devastating partnership that had the glimmer of championships. 

So much so that McGrady signed a three-year, $63 million contract extension with the Rockets shortly after arriving in, “Clutch City.” 

In his first three seasons with the Rockets, McGrady averaged 25.7, 24.4 and 24.6 points; 6.0, 6.2 and 6.5 rebounds, and 5.7, 4.8, and a career-best 6.5 assists. 

No game showed McGrady’s out of this world ability to put the ball in the basket when he scored 13 points in 35 seconds in leading the Rockets to a historic 81-80 come from behind win versus in-state rival, and Southwest Division rival the San Antonio Spurs on Dec. 9, 2005.   

While McGrady again put up great individual numbers, injuries to him and Ming robbed the Rockets of the chance to become champions. In McGrady six seasons with the team, he never got out of the opening round in five of those six. The year that he did when the Rockets defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 4-2, and lost to the eventual NBA champion Lakers in seven games, McGrady was sidelined because of microfracture surgery he had that shelved him the rest of that season. 

The next season, McGrady played in just six games still recovering from that knee surgery. The Rockets decided to shut him down again with the focus of trading him to another team. 

On Feb. 18, 2010, McGrady was traded to the Knicks, and two days later scored 26 points in his debut in an overtime loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

He would spend the next two seasons playing for the Pistons and Hawks respectably, averaging eight, and a career-low 5.3 points per game respectably. 

McGrady, then signed a one-year deal with the Qingdao DoubleStar Eagles of the Chinese Basketball Association, the team finished in last place, but the All-Star did average 25 points,7.2 boards, 5.1 assists, and 1.6 steals per contest. 

Shortly after the CBA campaign concluded, McGrady signed with the San Antonio Spurs in time to make their playoff roster. They advanced to the 2013 NBA Finals, where they lost to the LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and the Miami Heat in seven games to capture back-to-back titles. It provided McGrady though the chance to play his first career postseason minutes outside the First-Round. 

There have many players in the Hall of Fame that had better track records that have been selected on to be enshrined on the First-Ballot. They have championships to speak of. They played longer stretches that had sustained greatness. A lot of them even changed the game, and Tracy McGrady can be put in the category of game changers.

Before McGrady, the only player we can say that had his ability to handle the ball at ‘6’8” or taller was Hall of Famer and five-time champion with the Lakers Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Today, there are several players with the skill set that McGrady had in his career like future Hall of Famers in Wade, James, and the 2017 Finals MVP Kevin Durant, who tweeted on that Friday prior to the Hall of Fame festivities, “The game will always be about getting buckets. When it comes to buckets, there was nobody like T-Mac…. number 1 in the HOF. Respect OG.” 

Two people who believed that McGrady deserved to be in the Hall of Fame were Nichols and his wife of 20 years CleRenda Harris. 

McGrady said in his acceptance speech that when he and his wife were on an elevator heading to the HOF press conference at All-Star weekend in New Orleans this past February, she kept telling him how proud of him she was, and asked him if he was excited? 

He said he remained nonchalant, keeping his emotions reserved. Sensing the real reason behind the hesitation, McGrady’s better half to repeat after her and say that, “I deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.” 

McGrady did not say a word, but CleRenda insisted, and that time she said look in the mirror that was on the elevator wall and repeat after me, “I deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.” 

McGrady said he still could not utter those words from his mouth, not because he was not excited or honored. He just did not want to let himself get too excited. 

“My wife new something about me in that elevator that I had yet to admit and say aloud,” McGrady said. “There was a reason she wanted me to look myself in that mirror and say, ‘I deserve to be in the Hall of Fame,’ and there was also a reason why I couldn’t do it.” 

He thought of all the NBA greats in the Hall before him that won titles, have their jersey retired by the team or teams they played for, and as mentioned earlier changed the game. McGrady then started to compare himself to those greats. 

It is very easy as McGrady said to focus on what you do not have and what you did not accomplish in your NBA career, especially when you are reminded of it on sports talk shows, and particularly on social media. 

What McGrady has learned in his 15-year NBA career is the power of perseverance, faith and pushing through, especially when the odds are against you. When your first head coach in “The Association” said that you would not last three years in the league. When your work ethic was criticized, and when you even make into the National Basketball Association without a record of accomplishment, or any proof that you should be given a chance. 

Well McGrady was given that chance and even he made the most of that chance. He went from a small-town person from Auburndale, FL got a chance as he said to travel to place that as he said never knew existed. Who signed a long-term partnership with Adidas, that continues today.

McGrady got a chance to play for some great head coaches in his career Butch Carter with the Raptors, along with assistant coach Jim Thomas, who worked with McGrady on his shooting. Current head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers Glenn “Doc” Rivers and Johnny Davis before him, who worked with McGrady on his footwork when he was with the Magic, and current ESPN NBA color analyst Jeff Van Gundy, who he called, “the realest coach he ever played for,” and wished he had the opportunity to play a few more years longer when he was with the Rockets. 

He played with unbelievable teammates that made him an even better basketball player like Hall of Famers Ming, Dikembe Mutombo, who attended the ceremony, Hill, Darrell Armstrong, Doug Christie, his cousin Vince Carter, Dee Brown, Charles Oakley, Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues, Kevin Willis, Jermaine O’Neal, Dell Curry, and Antonio Davis.

Two people that McGrady special thanks to were the two people that raised him and kept him out of trouble in a drug infested area, his mother Roberta, and his grandmother Melanise. 

McGrady said his grandmother instilled in him patience, where he would wake up in the early hours in the morning to go fishing for 12 hours. 

“Being on that lake with my grandmother taught me patience, endurance, and the ability to not sweat what I couldn’t control,” McGrady said. 

His mother, McGrady said was his biggest cheerleader, who attended all his games in high school, and being the loudest person in the gym. He also said that his mom was the loudest in the arena of 20,000 people in his pro career. 

McGrady in his closing remarks had a message for his two daughters Layla and Laycee, and two sons Layden and Laymen saying, “Your character is always much more significant than your reputation. Never forget who you are. Never forget that and that you belong to God.” 

To his wife, McGrady said that God had given him a woman that has proven to be a beautiful mother, a wonderful wife, and amazing friend that he is thankful for every single day, and person who made him say what he couldn’t say seven months prior about how he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame was able to say with no hesitation on the night of Sept. 8, 2017. 

“On this day, I can proudly say yes, I deserve to be here. I’m truly humbled. I’m grateful, and proud to be in the class of 2017. Thank you very much.” 

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of the 9/1/17 NBA.com article, via The Associated Press, “Tracy McGrady, Jerry Krause, Rebecca Lobo Headline Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class;” 9/8/17 3 p.m. addition of “NBA: The Jump,” on ESPN with Rachel Nichols and Tracy McGrady; 9/8/17 6:30 p.m. Basketball Hall of Fame Red Carpet Show in NBATV with Casey Stern, Isiah Thomas, David Aldridge, and Rick Kamla; 9/8/17 7:30 p.m. 2017 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony, Emceed by Ahmad Rashad; www.google.com; http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isiah_Thomas; and http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracy_McGrady.