Last Updated on December 30, 2024 by Mathew Diekhake
Here’s the information on Tracy McGrady:
- Full Name: Tracy Lamar McGrady Jr.
- Nickname: T-Mac, Pumpkin Head, The Big Sleep
- Nationality: United States
- Age: Born on May 24, 1979
- Hometown: Bartow, Florida
- Wingspan: 7 feet 2 inches (218 cm)
- Weight: 225 lbs (102 kg) during his playing career
- Height: 6 feet 8 inches (203 cm)
- Shoe Size: Size 15 (US)
- Shoe Brand: Adidas Top Ten 2000, Adidas Real Deal, Adidas Silk, Adidas KB8 II, Adidas KB8 III, Adidas Lithicon, Adidas Mad Handle, Adidas Amazing Handle, Adidas Bromium II, Adidas TMac 1, Adidas TMac 2, Adidas TMac 3, Adidas TMac 3.5, Adidas TMac 4, Adidas TMac 4.5, Adidas Team Mac 1, 2 and 3, Adidas TMac 5, Adidas TMac 6 , Adidas TS Lightspeed, Adidas TS Creator.
- Number: #1 (Raptors), #1 (Magic), #1 and #3 (Rockets), #1 (Knicks), #1 (Pistons), #1 (Hawks), #9 (Qingdao DoubleStar Eagles)
- Position: Shooting Guard / Small Forward
- High School: Mount Zion Christian Academy (Durham, North Carolina)
- College: Did not attend college (entered the NBA directly from high school)
- Draft: 1997 NBA Draft, 9th overall pick by the Toronto Raptors
- NBA Teams
- Toronto Raptors (1997–2000)
- Drafted by the Raptors straight out of high school (9th overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft).
- Orlando Magic (2000–2004)
- Blossomed into a superstar, winning two NBA scoring titles (2003, 2004).
- Houston Rockets (2004–2010)
- Continued his All-Star career, forming a notable duo with Yao Ming.
- New York Knicks (2010)
- Played a brief stint after being traded mid-season.
- Detroit Pistons (2010–2011)
- Played one season with the Pistons, transitioning into a veteran role.
- Atlanta Hawks (2011–2012)
- Contributed off the bench during his time in Atlanta.
- San Antonio Spurs (2013)
- Signed late in the season and appeared during their playoff run but did not play significant minutes.
- Toronto Raptors (1997–2000)
- International Team
- Qingdao Eagles (China) (2012–2013)
- Played in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) after leaving the NBA.
- Qingdao Eagles (China) (2012–2013)
- 2K Rating: 85 (Raptors) 95 (Magic), 92 (Rockets)
- Rings: 0 NBA Championships as a player
- Accolades:
- NBA Career Achievements:
- 7× NBA All-Star (2001–2007)
- 2× NBA Scoring Champion (2003, 2004)
- 7× All-NBA Team:
- First Team: 2002, 2003
- Second Team: 2001, 2004, 2007
- Third Team: 2005, 2008
- NBA Most Improved Player (2001)
- Other Career Highlights:
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2017)
- Named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team (2021)
- His jersey #1 was retired by the Orlando Magic in honor of his contributions to the franchise.
- Accolades:
- Kids: 4 children (Layla, Laymen, Layden, and Laycee McGrady)
- Retirement Age: Officially retired in 2013 at the age of 34
- Net Worth: Tracy McGrady Contract History
Tracy McGrady is one of the rare players who went straight to the NBA from high school. Once McGrady found out that he was likely to be drafted in the top 15 picks, he decided that he would declare for the NBA Draft and sign a lucrative shoe deal with Adidas. McGrady was drafted 9th overall by Toronto. He left Toronto for his hometown team, the Orlando Magic, and was given the reins of the offense once Grant Hill was injured. It was then that McGrady discovered that he could be an NBA superstar.
Where was Tracy McGrady the best player: in Orlando or Houston? I think it was Houston. When playing for the Raptors, he was finding himself. When playing for the Magic, he found himself. When playing for the Rockets, he was learning how to perfect the balance between individual play and being a team player. While that balance might not have been perfected, it was beautiful to watch the unselfishness he played with. Also, part of the reason things weren’t perfect was the coaching. As soon as he started playing in the first pre-season for Houston it was clear his role wasn’t to be the Orlando McGrady anymore; he was to try to maximize Yao Ming and the team in general over maximizing himself. If all you want to do is watch McGrady, you’ll prefer the Orlando days. If you want to watch team basketball, you’ll prefer his Rockets days. Basketball is a team game and is best watched when a team is playing as one. Those Rockets days were special; they were a great team several times, and they were gaining in strength each year that went by. Sometimes fairytale endings don’t happen. And it doesn’t matter. Everyone knows you can’t win alone in the NBA. All it means is that things didn’t work out. For me, T-Mac was more of an inspiration when things didn’t work out than he would have been if things did work out. Nothing in my life has worked out so far. I draw on him for inspiration all the time.
Notes:
- Tracy McGrady’s height is 6 feet 8 inches (203 cm) without shoes. With shoes, his height is typically listed as 6 feet 9 inches (206 cm).
- Tracy McGrady appeared on Kevin Garnett’s All The Smoke in 2023 and said to KG that he was listed as 6 ft 8 in his whole career but he thinks that he is taller. KG replied, I know you are taller.
- Similar players to Tracy McGrady include Penny Hardaway, Scottie Pippen, Magic Johnson, and Kobe Bryant.
- McGrady signed a shoe deal with Adidas before his NBA rookie season; the Adidas deal made him rich before any NBA contract. He signed a lifetime deal with Adidas, but they didn’t start making a McGrady signature shoe until the 2001-02 season when Adidas released the Adidas TMac 1 basketball shoe.
- McGrady broke off the Adidas lifetime deal in 2023. McGrady said that Adidas didn’t believe he would be able to start his own 1-on-1 basketball league successfully.
Fun Facts
- He wore number 1 because Penny Hardaway wore number 1.
- He grew up around Tampa Bay and played for the team most near there, the Orlando Magic. The Magic was also the team Penny Hardaway played for, the player who most inspired him to play basketball.
- He thought he would have contended for a championship with the Orlando Magic if Grant Hill was healthy.
- The Houston Rockets owner at the time, Leslie Alexander, was a huge McGrady fan and was happy to have him when McGrady decided to leave Orlando for a better chance at winning.
- After McGrady retired from the NBA, he remained living in Houston and had a house in Sugar Land, where he and his wife Clerenda continued to raise their children.
- McGrady would attend Houston Rockets games sitting courtside after his retirement because Leslie Alexander would invite him.
- Leslie Alexander sold the Rockets to Tilman Fertitta and we didn’t see McGrady at games after that. Also, Fertitta decided not to retire McGrady’s jersey.
- McGrady can be spotted wearing Orlando Magic clothing from time to time and has shown up to Magic games and practice sessions in his 40s.
- McGrady doesn’t have regrets because he is happy where his life ended up now, but he noted several times when his winning chances could have been different. For instance, he left Vince Carter and the Raptors to advance his career elsewhere. He left Orlando before they drafted Dwight Howard. And the Rockets had become contenders the same year that his body ultimately broke down on him. But winning isn’t everything. He made the NBA Hall of Fame and inspired millions to watch and play basketball.
- Yao Ming played for the Houston Rockets before McGrady. But the Rockets weren’t contenders until McGrady arrived. The Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady era of the Rockets is the favorite of many Rockets fans around the world, especially in China.
- After retiring from the NBA, McGrady played a season in China because he had so many fans there. His team didn’t come close to contending, but McGrady played very well and put up as many as 34 points in some games.
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