For basketball fans in the United Kingdom, the United States and indeed around the world, Tracy McGrady needs no introduction.
McGrady, known as T-Mac by NBA circles, was an explosive player who could just as easily drive to the rim through a defence as he could hit an off-balance and heavily contested three-pointer in crunch time. His fellow Hall of Fame inductee Paul Pierce described McGrady as one of the most difficult players the Boston Celtics icon had to guard - which is certainly a high level of praise.
True to the description, McGrady remains as laid back now as he ventures forward in post-basketball life with the Ones Basketball League as he was on the court with the Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets among others. Analysts across the pond often remarked that his size, playmaking and shooting would perhaps be more suited to the modern era of the sport where the three-point shot reigns supreme.
T-Mac certainly doesn’t disagree that he was a modern star who was before his time.
“It’s a different game,” McGrady exclusively told Mirror Sport . “The game of basketball constantly evolves over so many years. But do I wish I had played in this era? Absolutely. I think I would have probably played more than 15 years. There’s so much spacing in today's game, with a barrage of three pointers being put up. The rules have made the game softer; there's less back-to-back games. There's longer All-Star breaks, like-“
McGrady paused for a moment, like a vicious stride stop to juke out a defender, as if to make sure he wasn’t going to offend anyone. With a smile, he said: “Listen, they have implemented a lot into today's game to really help these guys prolong their NBA careers, I'll say that.”
It’s difficult to imagine being disappointed that you were born an era too early when your career statistics read 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game to go with seven All-Star appearances and two All-NBA First Team selections. When asked whether his game would translate today, T-Mac was characteristically to the point.
“Andrew, I think I’d be pretty damn good,” McGrady declared with a shrug of his shoulders. “When you look back, some of the scores were 85 to 88 and a player can have 40 points of those. In today's game, we're putting up 130 points, and shooting 30 to 40 threes every night - come on man, I think I’d do well!”
In fact, saying Tracy McGrady - T-Mac himself - would do ‘well’ in today’s NBA is arguably doing the seven-time All-Star/two-time NBA scoring champion a disservice. His 6ft 8in frame held together a perimeter threat that could power past the best defenders in the sport seemingly at will, so it is fair to say he would be marvelled, heralded and frankly idolised by fans today just like he was in the 2000s.
There are many different phases to McGrady’s storybook career in the NBA. The opening chapter in Toronto alongside cousin Vince Carter set the stage, but it was his time in Orlando where not only did McGrady emerge as one of the NBA’s leading stars, but it’s where he realised his potential and the fact that he belonged on the highest stage alongside Grant Hill, who McGrady referred to as ‘one of the best to have done it’.
“The Magic signed this kid who wasn’t even a starter out of Toronto and gave him the bag alongside Grant Hill,” McGrady added. “I had to grow real fast; I think that season really just validated and confirmed to me that, you know, I could do this.
“I could be one of the best players in the NBA. I worked my butt off to get there, but I reached that level.”
His spell with the Orlando Magic saw McGrady ascend to perhaps the peak of his powers. While in Florida, T-Mac twice led the NBA in scoring - including a career-high 32.1 points per game - and the man himself acknowledged that segment of his career was when he was at his best.
“Man, that Orlando T-Mac was a bad boy,” McGrady said, chuckling with a glow in his eyes as he relived past memories. “I with that version had the mentality of Rockets T-Mac, because I was such a cerebral basketball player in Houston as my athleticism had decreased.
“I was more knowledgeable about the game, whereas in Orlando I utilised my athleticism as it could get me anywhere I needed to go.”
McGrady is right when reflecting on his career. He was a two-time leading scorer in the NBA, but there’s one moment of his playing days that I simply had to ask: What was going through the mind of T-Mac as he hit 13 points in 33 glorious seconds to snatch the Rockets a win from the jaws of defeat against the dynastic San Antonio Spurs?
“When you look back on a moment like that, you have to credit the work that you put in in the offseason,” McGrady said after recalling how the Spurs hit each and every free throw, which served to make the incredible comeback even more memorable. “Moments like that were why we work tirelessly, put in countless hours, tonnes of shots, and get in the best shape possible.
“The opportunity finally presented itself and I took advantage of that moment because I was ready for it.”
McGrady’s mentality and style posed a threat to any defender in the NBA and made him one of the most difficult players to face in a one-on-situation. Regardless, T-Mac insists he didn’t take his own strengths into consideration when he formed the Ones Basketball League
Instead, the 43-year-old took inspiration from the simple fact that someone took a chance on him - and that’s what the OBL is for. It’s a national tournament that aims to find the best one-on-one players and celebrate their unique individual brilliance. It's quintessential T-Mac: betting on yourself and your skills to find great success.
“I want to give guys who no-one really knows about a platform to showcase their talent. I know that some of these players have been told they're not good enough and some doors have closed,” McGrady proudly said.
“This is a platform where they don't need coaches, they don't need someone telling them what they can and cannot do. They go out and do it themselves, proving to the world that they have a great skillset worth sitting down, watching and being thrilled about - and these guys have proved me right on my theory already.”
McGrady pointed to elite fitness, mental toughness and the ability to shoot as the key attributes needed to succeed in the OBL. He hopes to see it expand to become a women’s league before taking the format global - including to London and the United Kingdom.
The Rockets icon laughed when pointed to the frenzy he incited on British social media after he and the OBL followed a number of journalists and content creators - and his vision is clear. McGrady confidently said: “We want this to be global and we want it to happen in the coming years: OBL USA, OBL Germany, OBL UK and then bring it all together to have an OBL Olympics.”
Naturally, this posed the question of who McGrady believes would come out on top in an NBA league-wide OBL special tournament. He intriguingly spoke of height classes akin to boxing and UFC’s weight classes to somewhat level the playing field (or court), and T-Mac listed some names he would believe would excel in an NBA-OBL collaboration.
“If we’re talking 6ft 3in and under, I'm going no other than Kyrie [Irving] and Steph [Curry] to face off in the championship game,” McGrady said after a quick second to consider his options. “If we’re looking at 6ft 6in and above, LeBron [James], Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George. Listen man, we’ve got some talented one-on-one skill guys in the game - it’s an exciting time.”
Who do you think would come out on top in an OBL-NBA tournament? Let us know in the comments section.
It certainly is a fascinating time to follow the NBA amidst an era where stats and championship rings educate plenty of opinions for better or for worse. Since being drafted ninth overall in the 1997 NBA Draft straight out of high school by the Raptors, McGrady’s accomplishments saw him make one of the three All-NBA teams seven times while he was named Most Improved Player in 2001. T-Mac was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017, solidifying his place in basketball history and immortalising his legacy.
T-Mac remarkably never claimed that elusive NBA title across his illustrious career, but he received a unique type of appreciation players rarely receive and perhaps more successful stars yearn for. He became a cult hero thanks to the joy he exhibited in fans around the world thanks to his attractive, care-free style - and the older, wiser McGrady acknowledges the love and appreciation he has received in life shines brighter than any championship ring.
“Everyone wants to win a championship right? It takes a lot of moving parts be it management or the right pieces. It wasn’t from a lack of trying, but it happens,” McGrady concludes. “The dream for me when I was a kid was to make it to the NBA. I wanted to be an NBA player.
“People appreciate what I brought to the game of basketball and show that love and support - and that in itself is fulfilment to me. I will always appreciate that.”
The OBL Finals will see a winner - the Ruler of the Court - will take home $250,000 from Las Vegas in July 15-17. More information can be found here.
