McGrady was born on May 24, 1979, inBartow, Florida, to Melanise Williford.[5] Because his father was not a part of their everyday lives, Melanise raised McGrady with the help of her mother, Roberta, inAuburndale.[6] As a youth, McGrady played high schoolbasketball andbaseball atAuburndale High School for three years before transferring toMount Zion Christian Academy inDurham, North Carolina for his senior season.[7] During his final year at Auburndale, McGrady posted averages of 23.1 points, 12.2 rebounds,[8] 4 assists, and 4.9 blocks per game.[9]
A relatively unknown player coming out ofFlorida, McGrady made a name for himself after a strong performance at theAdidasABCD Camp, an experience that helped him recognize his true talent.[10] He later reflected, "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."[11] Behind his leadership, Mt. Zion emerged as the number two-ranked team in the country, and McGrady was named aMcDonald's All-American,USA Today High School Basketball Player of the Year, and North Carolina's Mr. Basketball by the Associated Press.[6] He also played at the 1997Roundball Classic, scoring 13 points.[9] His senior year averages were 27.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 7.7 assists,[12] 2.8 steals, and 2 blocks per game.[9] Initially, McGrady considered playingcollege basketball at theUniversity of Kentucky, but he ultimately decided toenter the NBA draft as he was a projected lottery pick.[6]
McGrady was selected as the ninth overall pick by theToronto Raptors in the1997 NBA draft.[5] For most of the1997–98 season, he received little playing time, averaging only 13 minutes per game under head coachDarrell Walker.[13] McGrady has described his rookie year as "hell", feeling lonely in Toronto and sleeping for up to 20 hours a day.[14] Late in the season, Walker resigned, and McGrady began playing more under new coachButch Carter, who agreed to increase McGrady's minutes on the condition that McGrady would improve his work ethic.[13]
Before the lockout-shortened1998–99 season, the Raptors drafted McGrady's second cousin once removed,Vince Carter. The two became inseparable; teammateDee Brown once said, "They say they're cousins ... But Siamese twins is more like it."[15]
By the1999–2000 season, the duo had developed a reputation for their athleticism, giving memorable performances at theAll-Star Weekend Slam Dunk Contest.[14] McGrady, now playing significant minutes, was a contender for theSixth Man of the Year Award before being elevated to Toronto's starting backcourt in late March.[16] On April 4, in what would be one of his last regular season games in Toronto, McGrady scored a tenure-high 28 points in a loss against the Pistons.[17] Behind McGrady and Carter's play, the Raptors finished the season with a 45–37 record, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.[14][18] McGrady's final averages were 15.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and a career-high 1.9 blocks per game.[5] In the first round ofthe postseason, the Raptors were swept by theNew York Knicks.[18]
Following Toronto's first-round exit, McGrady became a free agent and signed with theOrlando Magic on August 3, 2000, through asign-and-trade deal that sent a future 2005 1st round draft pick (Fran Vázquez was later selected) to the Raptors. He signed a seven-year, $92.8 million contract with the Magic.[19][20][21] He elected to join the Magic in part because he disliked his secondary role playing behind Vince Carter,[22] in part so that he could return home to Florida, and in part to play with their other newly acquired free agent,Grant Hill.[23] Hill would go on to play in only 47 games total throughout his tenure with the team, forcing McGrady into a more significant leadership and scoring role than anticipated.[24]
During the2000–01 season, McGrady defied the expectations of many,[25] emerging as one of the best players in the NBA, withMilwaukee Bucks General Manager Ernie Grunfeld going so far as to call him "one of the top five talents in the league".[21] McGrady's play earned him his firstAll-Star Game appearance and, behind averages of 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game, he was selected to his firstAll-NBA Team, being named to the All-NBA Second Team.[5] He was also voted the league'sMost Improved Player.[22] With a 43–39 record, the Magic enteredthe playoffs as the East's seventh seed, drawing a matchup with the Bucks.[26] In Game 3 of the series, McGrady notched 42 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists in a performance thatBill Simmons later called McGrady's "superstar audition tape".[25] Orlando was eventually eliminated by Milwaukee in four games.[27]
2001–02 season: First All-NBA First Team selection
For the2001–02 season, McGrady averaged 25.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game, earning his second All-NBA Team selection, this time to the All-NBA First Team.[5] During that year'sAll-Star Game, he completed one of the most memorable highlights of his career, throwing the ball off the backboard to himself and completing analley-oop in traffic.[28] Reflecting on the play, McGrady later recounted, "There was only one guy back there ... and he bit on the lob ... I guess he thought I was throwing it to one of my teammates, and I just threw it down."[29] At season's end, the Magic were again ousted in the first round ofthe playoffs, losing in four games to theCharlotte Hornets.[30] On March 8, 2002, in one of the best games of his career, McGrady scored a season high 50 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 99–96 win over theWashington Wizards.[31]
2002–03 season: First scoring title and playoff disappointment
In2002–03, McGrady won his firstscoring title and, behind averages of 32.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game, finished a career-best fourth inNBA Most Valuable Player Award voting.[32] ESPN later ranked his season one of the best ever for a perimeter player.[33] In Game 1 ofthe playoffs, he scored a team playoff record 43 points to help Orlando take an early series lead against the top-seededDetroit Pistons.[34] The Magic would go on to take a commanding 3–1 lead, and McGrady made headlines when he prematurely assumed that Orlando were guaranteed to advance, replying in an interview, "It feels good to get in the second round." In that year, the first round of the NBA playoffs was changed to a best-of-seven series from a best-of-five. Despite holding the series lead, the Magic were eliminated in seven games.[35]
2003–04 season: Second scoring title and missing playoffs
The2003–04 season was a tumultuous one for McGrady; Magic coachDoc Rivers was fired after a 1–10 start to the year and there were reports of friction between McGrady and Orlando General ManagerJohn Weisbrod.[21][36] Throughout the season, Orlando struggled because of a series of injuries, finishing the year with the worst record in the East despite McGrady winning his second consecutive scoring title.[5][37] Late in the season, McGrady scored a career-high 62 points in a winning effort versus theWashington Wizards.[38] His final averages were 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game.[5]
On June 29, 2004, McGrady,Juwan Howard,Tyronn Lue, andReece Gaines were traded to theHouston Rockets as part of a seven-player deal that sentSteve Francis,Cuttino Mobley, andKelvin Cato to the Magic.[5] In response to the trade, McGrady stated that he was happy with the situation and expressed excitement over the prospect of playing alongside Rocket All-Star centerYao Ming.[39] Shortly after arriving in Houston, McGrady signed a three-year, $63 million contract extension with the team.[14]
The Rockets struggled to begin the2004–05 season, posting a losing record of 16–17 through their first 33 games.[40] On December 9, McGrady had one of the most memorable performances of his career, scoring 13 points in the final 35 seconds against theSan Antonio Spurs including a last-second three-pointer to secure a comeback victory.[41] The sequence included four consecutive three-pointers, one of which was part of a four-point play and the last of which was a game-winner in the final two seconds.[41] After theAll-Star break, Houston rebounded from their slow start, finishing the season with 51 wins and the fifth-best record in the West.[40] McGrady's final averages were 25.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game.[5] In Game 2 of the first round ofthe postseason, he had another signature performance, completing a "thunderous" dunk over 7'6"Dallas Mavericks centerShawn Bradley and hitting a game-winner for a 113–111 victory.[42] The series would go to a decisive Game 7, where McGrady came out cold, missing his first seven shots en route to a 40-point loss.[43]
The2005–06 season was a disappointing one for the Rockets, as McGrady appeared in only 47 games due to injury.[5] At various points during the year, he missed time due to back spasms, including a moment in January where he had to be carried off the court in a stretcher due to a severe flare up.[44] Despite his health concerns, McGrady was able to play in that year'sAll-Star Game in front of his home crowd in Houston, exploding for 36 points in just 27 minutes.[25] For the season, he averaged 24.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.[5] Due in part to his frequent absences, the Rockets failed to qualify forthe playoffs.[45]
Early in the2006–07 season, McGrady missed seven games, again because of back spasms, eventually deciding to visit a doctor and receive treatment for the injury as he felt that it was affecting his speed and explosiveness.[46] His health issues and the ascension of Yao Ming, who was having a breakout season, resulted in McGrady temporarily becoming the team's second scoring option.[47] His final averages were 24.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game.[5] To openthe playoffs, the Rockets were matched up theUtah Jazz.[48] By this time, pressure had started to mount on McGrady to lead the team deep into the postseason, to which he responded, "If we don't get out of the first round, it's on me!"[49] Houston would eventually lose the series in seven games, and at his postgame press conference following the Game 7 defeat, McGrady, still visibly emotional from the loss, said "I tried, man, I tried."[50]
In2007–08, the Rockets went on a 22-game winning streak, which was thethen-second longest in NBA history, despite missing Yao Ming during that stretch.[51] During their run, McGrady expressed optimism over the team's roster, admitting, "I haven't had this kind of trust in my teammates before."[14] Houston finished the season as the West's fifth seed, earning them a rematch with theJazz in the first round.[52] By the time the playoffs arrived, McGrady was nursing shoulder and knee injuries, at times requiring him to receive pain-killing injections and have fluid drained from both his shoulder and knee in order for him to be able to play.[53][54][55] The Jazz again eliminated the Rockets, this time in six games, despite a strong 40-point and 10-rebound performance from McGrady in the decisive Game 6.[56]
Following Houston's loss to Utah, McGrady underwentarthroscopic surgery on both his left shoulder and left knee.[57] Early in the2008–09 season, he missed 18 games, including a two-week stretch in January as his knee was not fully healed from his offseason surgery.[58] On February 24, he hadmicrofracture surgery in Chicago, forcing him to miss the remainder of the year.[55][59] By then, his averages had declined to 15.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.[5] In a surprise turn of events, the Rockets qualified forthe playoffs without McGrady and advanced to the second round, pushing the eventual-championLos Angeles Lakers to seven games.[60]
McGrady was still recovering from surgery to begin the2009–10 campaign.[61] On December 15, he returned to action but was limited to only seven minutes off the bench.[62] After six games, the Rockets decided to shut him down again so that they could focus on trading him to another team.[61]
On February 18, 2010, McGrady was traded to theNew York Knicks as part of a three-team trade involving Houston, New York, and Sacramento.[63] Two days later, he made his team debut, scoring 26 points in an overtime loss against theThunder.[64] He would finish the season with averages of 9.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 26.1 minutes per game. McGrady only appeared in 24 games for the Knicks.[5]
A free agent for the first time in ten years, McGrady met with and worked out for theLos Angeles Clippers[65] andChicago Bulls.[66] Bulls second-year guardDerrick Rose publicly supported the idea of McGrady coming to Chicago.[67] McGrady would end up signing a one-year contract with theDetroit Pistons.[68]
On January 14, 2011, McGrady scored a season high 22 points and recorded 5 assists in a 101–95 victory over the Raptors.[69] Two weeks later, on January 28, McGrady scored 14 points, recorded 10 assists, grabbed 8 rebounds, and blocked 4 shots in an 88–87 loss to the Heat.[70] He averaged 8 points per game for the2010–11 season.
Following the2011 NBA lockout, McGrady signed a one-year deal with theAtlanta Hawks. In the lockout-shortened 66 gameseason, McGrady played 52 games, and for the first time in his career did not start any of them.
On January 2, 2012, McGrady had a memorable performance against the then-undefeated"Big Three" Miami Heat (who went on to win the NBA Finals that year) with a 13-point fourth quarter to bring Atlanta back to win the game.[71] Battling injuries through the year, he averaged a career-low 5.3 points per game.
On April 16, 2013, shortly after the conclusion of the CBA campaign, McGrady signed with theSan Antonio Spurs in time for him to qualify for their playoff roster.[75] The Spurs eventually advanced to the2013 NBA Finals, losing in seven games to theMiami Heat, which provided McGrady with the opportunity to play his first career postseason minutes outside of the first round.[76]
On August 26, McGrady officially announced his retirement from the NBA onESPN'sFirst Take.[77]
McGrady was selected to theUnited States men's national basketball team for theFIBA Americas Championship 2003 inSan Juan, Puerto Rico.[78] On August 22, McGrady led the Americans with 16 points in a 98–69 victory overVenezuela.[79] McGrady sat out the August 26 game due to a back injury.[80] The U.S. qualified for the2004 Olympic Games on August 30 with an 87–71 win overPuerto Rico; in the game, McGrady and Puerto Rico'sEddie Casiano were involved in an altercation which resulted in fans throwing drinks and debris on the court.[81] Ultimately, the U.S. advanced to the gold medal game, defeatingArgentina to finish a perfect 10–0.[82] For the tournament, McGrady averaged 12.6 points and 2.9 rebounds a game on 54.4 percent from the field and 42.1 percent three-point shooting.[78]
Standing 6 feet 8 inches tall (2.03 m) and weighing 210 pounds (95 kg), McGrady played as ashooting guard andsmall forward. His career averages were 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. McGrady earned seven All-NBA honors (2001–05, 2007–08), seven All-Star selections (2001–07), two NBA scoring titles (2003–04), and won the NBA Most Improved Player Award in 2001.[5] He was inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2017.[87]
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".[88] Many of his contemporaries, includingPaul Pierce andKobe Bryant, have called him one of the most difficult players that they ever had to guard.[89][90] McGrady's playing style has been compared toGeorge Gervin's because both players made scoring appear easy with their "smooth" approach to the game.[88] At his peak, McGrady was an explosive player capable of finishing at the rim over the defense;[91] in a piece for ESPN,Zach Lowe reminisced, "He glided through the lane, crouched into traffic, and accelerated suddenly -- almost violently -- through a forest of slower-moving forms, and to the rim."[92] McGrady was also a threat from outside, and would frequently pull up for deep three-pointers over unsuspecting defenders.[91] Some analysts have remarked that McGrady's length, playmaking, and shooting abilities would have made him more effective in the modern era of basketball, and that he was ahead of his time.[92] On the defensive side of the ball, McGrady's effort was less consistent, but he demonstrated the ability to raise his level in meaningful games, such as during the playoffs against the Mavericks, where he often drew the assignment of guardingDirk Nowitzki.[14]
During his time as an All-Star, McGrady was frequently criticized for not having led any team beyond the first round of the playoffs.[93] Some analysts have defended McGrady, feeling that he was the victim of bad rosters and unfortunate circumstances.[25] His effort level, leadership, and toughness were also questioned at times.[14] In response to these criticisms, former Rockets coachJeff Van Gundy described McGrady as a poor practice player but praised his coachability, unselfishness, and ability to perform well in big games.[25]
McGrady is often ranked as one of the greatest basketball players of all-time;The Book of Basketball ranked him 77th,[94] ESPN ranked him 63rd,[33] andSLAM Magazine ranked him 97th.[95] In 2016,Sports Illustrated listed McGrady as one of the 20 best basketball players since the announcement of the original50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996.[96] In 2021, to commemorate the NBA's 75th AnniversaryThe Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named McGrady as the 55th greatest player in NBA history.[97]
McGrady has three children with his wife, CleRenda Harris.[98] Their first son, Laymen Lamar, was born on December 27, 2005, during a home game in Houston, which McGrady left at halftime.[99] Tracy's younger brother, Chancellor "Chance" McGrady, played for the2008 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament runner-upMemphis Tigers.[100]
McGrady is also the second cousin once removed of basketball playerVince Carter through Carter's step-great-grandfather; the two therefore are not related by blood. They were teammates with the Raptors in 1998–2000. Both players were unaware of the relation until a family reunion in 1997.[101] After McGrady left the Raptors, they had a feud, but it was resolved in a short period of time.[102]
In 2002, McGrady signed a longterm partnership withAdidas, agreeing to an endorsement deal that lasted through his playing career and beyond.[103] Adidas produced a signature line of shoes for McGrady thatComplex remembered as "all the buzz in the early-mid 2000s".[104] Upon retiring, McGrady shifted his focus to his business investments, including Dasdak, a Washington, D.C.–based technology company, and Blue-04, a bottled water company in Florida.[105] He was also an initial investor in aMinor League Baseball team which would become theBiloxi Shuckers.[106] Since 2016, he has worked as an NBA analyst for ESPN.[107]
In 2007, McGrady traveled to theDarfurian refugee camps inChad withJohn Prendergast and Omer Ismail of theEnough Project. McGrady recruited NBA players to support an initiative linking schools in Darfurian refugee camps to American middle schools, high schools, and universities.[108] Prior to the start of the 2010 season with the Rockets, he changed his jersey number to No. 3 in order to promote his humanitarian efforts in the region and a documentary on his summer visit called3 Points.[109] In 2008, McGrady was criticized for his comments on theAll-Star Game being held in New Orleans, which was only three years removed from the destruction surroundingHurricane Katrina. McGrady publicly questioned the quality of public safety and protection of NBA players.[110]
In August 2021, McGrady launched an app, SOLEcial, designed to sell autographed shoes, trading cards, and other memorabilia directly to buyers.[111]
^"当前位置:CBA数据中心" [Current position: CBA Data Center].Cbadata.sports.sohu.com (in Chinese).Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. RetrievedMarch 1, 2014.