What Is Dead May Never Die: NBA players who left too soon
Tracy McGrady
by Cole Patty (@ColePatty)
There were few players in the history of the NBA that could redefine what was possible on a basketball court like Tracy McGrady. The 6-foot-8 shooting guard didn’t exactly explode on the scene in the NBA, averaging 7 points per game for a 16-66 Toronto Raptors squad, but took off like a bottle rocket on the fourth of July when he moved on to play under Doc Rivers for the Orlando Magic.
The statistical accolades McGrady racked up during his time in Orlando were remarkable for a guy whose Hall of Fame resume is questioned by many today. In his four seasons with the Magic, T-Mac led the league in scoring twice, made the All-Star team all four times, and averaged at least 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists twice as well. The last of those listed items is the most overlooked. Many remember Tracy’s stellar ability to make basket after basket in the tightest of defenses, but he was a much more well rounded player than those memories may serve. He had the passing guile that rivaled many of the elite point guards at that time and always could fly in and grab a rebound with ease, even if McGrady could at times be apathetic towards the concept for rebounding. A common question from fans today is who was LeBron before LeBron came into the league, and while Tracy isn’t the perfect response to such a heavy question, he’s certainly a better answer than many give credit for.
To define Tracy McGrady by his only his statistical output however is far from doing the man justice on the court. There was a certain level of basketball genius about him that could consume a human’s attention anytime the Orlando Magic were playing basketball on the television set in their living room. McGrady just glided up and down the basketball court in manner that made you feel it was a brisk practice game, the level of ease in which he did anything made no sense. Much similar to the feeling a parent gets when they see their child find something on this earth they’re so naturally talented in. Watching that child pick up something for the first time and excel at a level their peers can’t match makes the parent bubble over with endless possibility and joy, yet Tracy somehow did this in a league filled with men who were regarded the best at the world at his very craft. This is what truly made him a special talent.
Unfortunately for McGrady it didn’t last. He moved onto the Houston Rockets and enjoyed a few stellar seasons there before succumbing to multiple injuries in his back, shoulder, and knee. He missed the All-Star game in 2007-08 after making seven straight appearances, made 65 appearances total the next two seasons, and played a lackluster season with the Hawks and Pistons each.
Gone forever was the overwhelming feeling Tracy McGrady brought basketball fans when he stepped out on the court, but it certainly never died in their hearts and minds.