Tracy McGrady announced his retirement from the NBA on ESPN’s First Take on Monday. SPORTSNET.CA takes a look at 10 memorable moments, good and bad and in no particular order, from the former Raptor’s career.
1. Draft night
Toronto fans were unsure what to expect when they selected a gangly 18-year-old out of Mount Zion Christian Academy, during a late ‘90s boom of players bypassing college to enter the NBA. McGrady performed extremely well, relative to expectations and had one of the best careers from the 1997 NBA Draft class.
2. First bad guy in Raptors franchise history
Although his distant cousin Vince Carter will always have the mantra of the “bad guy” to Raptor fans, Tracy McGrady’s departure from Toronto was considered to be a surprise and set the team’s perpetual rebuild into motion. McGrady was showing signs of becoming an elite scorer, particularly during his third and final year with the Raptors, and his move to Orlando left a bitter taste in many Raptors’ fans mouth.
3. Never winning a playoff series prior to 2013
Prior to joining the 2012-13 San Antonio Spurs as a late-season addition, McGrady had never won a playoff series in his career. Moreover, the Florida native had a minimal impact on the Spurs’ run to the Finals, and although he will be remembered as an outstanding scorer, his poor playoff resume will hurt his legacy moving forward.
4. Thirteen points in 35 seconds
McGrady’s virtuoso offensive ability was never displayed better than a 13-point barrage in 35 seconds against the San Antonio Spurs in December 2004. T-Mac unleashed four three-pointers in this span, the last of the four winning the game for his Houston Rockets with 1.7 seconds left, putting the league on notice to respect his prolific scoring touch.
5. Two-time scoring champion
After leaving Toronto McGrady evolved into the dynamic scorer that the Raptors brass surely envisioned when they selected him straight out of high school. McGrady’s first of the two scoring titles was particularly memorable, with him amassing an incredible 32.1 points per game, a total that has only been bested once since (Kobe Bryant, 35.4 ppg, 2005-06).
6. His dunk on Shawn Bradley
Often credited for being a great shooter, McGrady’s dunking ability was never considered in the same echelon as his relative Carter in this aspect. However, in the 2005 NBA playoffs, McGrady unveiled a ferocious dunk over 7-foot-6 Space Jam star Shawn Bradley. The Rockets’ star forward cut from the baseline, then proceeded to rise over the pedestrian Bradley for a memorable finish.
7. McGrady-Carter duo at 2000 Dunk Contest
Although this event will be best remembered for Carter’s iconic series of dunks, McGrady performed admirably during the event, and caught the attention of the international media for the first time. McGrady assisted Carter on one of his alley-oop dunks and finished third behind Carter and Steve Francis (a player who left a Canadian franchise infamously, and who McGrady was later traded for).
8. “I tried man, I tried” press conference
After being eliminated by the Utah Jazz in a seven-game series in the 2007 playoffs, a distraught McGrady took the podium to field questions from the media. McGrady’s press conference is notable for his phrase “I tried man, I tried,” and he would later leave the podium abruptly, visibly upset.
9. Blockbuster trade to the Rockets
McGrady’s inclusion in a blockbuster trade to the Houston shocked the NBA world, as no one anticipated the two-time scoring champion leaving the franchise. McGrady, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue and Reece Gaines were dealt to Orlando in exchange for Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato. Initially viewed as a relatively fair trade, Francis never panned out for Orlando, while McGrady formed a dynamic duo with Yao Ming in Houston.
10. “I love it, all day!”: Reacting to the boos in Orlando
In McGrady’s return to Orlando as a Rocket, he was mercilessly booed by the Magic faithful. In a half-time interview with Craig Sager, McGrady tauntingly embraced the jeers, declaring “I love it, all day!” McGrady would have the last laugh, leading the Rockets with 27 points in a 108-99 victory in the January 2005 matchup.
