Tracy McGrady was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2017.
34 Facts About Tracy McGrady
2.
Tracy McGrady is regarded as one of the greatest scorers and shooting guards in NBA history.
3.
Tracy McGrady entered the NBA straight out of high school and was selected as the ninth overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in the 1997 NBA draft.
4.
Since retiring, Tracy McGrady has worked as a basketball analyst for ESPN.
5.
Tracy McGrady was born on May 24,1979, in Bartow, Florida, to Melanise Williford.
6.
Zion emerged as the number two-ranked team in the country, and Tracy McGrady was named a McDonald's All-American, USA Today High School Basketball Player of the Year, and North Carolina's Mr Basketball by the Associated Press.
7.
Tracy McGrady played at the 1997 Roundball Classic, scoring 13 points.
8.
Tracy McGrady was selected as the ninth overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in the 1997 NBA draft.
9.
Tracy McGrady has described his rookie year as "hell", feeling lonely in Toronto and sleeping for up to 20 hours a day.
10.
Tracy McGrady signed a seven-year, $92.8 million contract with the Magic.
11.
Tracy McGrady elected to join the Magic in part because he disliked his secondary role playing behind Vince Carter, in part so that he could return home to Florida, and in part to play with their other newly acquired free agent, Grant Hill.
12.
Tracy McGrady's play earned him his first All-Star Game appearance and, behind averages of 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game, he was selected to his first All-NBA Team, being named to the All-NBA Second Team.
13.
In Game 3 of the series, Tracy McGrady notched 42 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists in a performance that Bill Simmons later called Tracy McGrady's "superstar audition tape".
14.
Late in the season, Tracy McGrady scored a career-high 62 points in a winning effort versus the Washington Wizards.
15.
Shortly after arriving in Houston, Tracy McGrady signed a three-year, $63 million contract extension with the team.
16.
The series would go to a decisive Game 7, where Tracy McGrady came out cold, missing his first seven shots en route to a 40-point loss.
17.
On February 18,2010, Tracy McGrady was dealt to the New York Knicks as part of a three-team trade involving Houston, New York, and Sacramento.
18.
On October 9,2012, Tracy McGrady signed a one-year deal with the Qingdao DoubleStar Eagles of the Chinese Basketball Association.
19.
Qingdao finished the season in last place, with Tracy McGrady averaging 25 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.
20.
Tracy McGrady was selected to the United States men's national basketball team for the FIBA Americas Championship 2003 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
21.
On February 4,2014, Tracy McGrady confirmed that he was officially pursuing his dream of becoming a professional baseball player, working with Roger Clemens to become a pitcher for the Sugar Land Skeeters of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
22.
Tracy McGrady earned seven All-NBA honors, seven All-Star selections, two NBA scoring titles, and won the NBA Most Improved Player Award in 2001.
23.
Tracy McGrady was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2017.
24.
Tracy McGrady was known for his laid-back demeanor and scoring prowess; he once scored 41 points in a game despite being asleep right until tip-off, a performance that inspired the nickname "The Big Sleep".
25.
Tracy McGrady's playing style has been compared to George Gervin's because both players made scoring appear easy with their "smooth" approach to the game.
26.
Some analysts have defended Tracy McGrady, feeling that he was the victim of bad rosters and unfortunate circumstances.
27.
Tracy McGrady is often ranked as one of the greatest basketball players of all-time; The Book of Basketball ranked him 77th, ESPN ranked him 63rd, and SLAM Magazine ranked him 97th.
28.
Tracy McGrady is the second cousin once removed of basketball player Vince Carter through Carter's step-great-grandfather; the two therefore are not related by blood.
29.
In 2002, Tracy McGrady signed a longterm partnership with Adidas, agreeing to an endorsement deal that lasted through his playing career and beyond.
30.
Tracy McGrady was an initial investor in a Minor League Baseball team which would become the Biloxi Shuckers.
31.
In 2007, Tracy McGrady traveled to the Darfurian refugee camps in Chad with John Prendergast and Omer Ismail of the Enough Project.
32.
Tracy McGrady recruited NBA players to support an initiative linking schools in Darfurian refugee camps to American middle schools, high schools, and universities.
33.
In 2008, Tracy McGrady was criticized for his comments on the All-Star Game being held in New Orleans, which was only three years removed from the destruction surrounding Hurricane Katrina.
34.
Tracy McGrady publicly questioned the quality of public safety and protection of NBA players.