Tracy McGrady’s legacy in the NBA is a complicated one thanks to injuries and a lack of team success. In Orlando though, Tracy McGrady was sublime.
For four years, Tracy McGrady was the athlete everyone associated with Orlando. He was the main attraction at the then-TD Waterhouse Centre and the only thing keeping a franchise precariously close to leaving the city alive.
He gave everyone who cared to show up a reason to turn out to the arena and he usually gave them their money’s worth.
For four years, Tracy McGrady was perhaps the best player in the NBA and he was doing it in Orlando, albeit on mediocre teams.
So where does McGrady place in the annals of NBA history?
The Over & Back Podcast is reviewing the case for modern players to make the NBA’s top 50 of all time and came to Tracy McGrady:
In Orlando, McGrady averaged 28.1 points per game, 7.1 rebounds per game and 5.2 assists per game. He was the everything for the Magic against the road block that was Grant Hill’s injury.
The rest of McGrady’s career after he departed Orlando in 2004 was disappointment and injury. His body broke down and he could not carry his historic scoring outputs for much longer. And ultimately, McGrady was judged on his inability to get out of the first round of the Playoffs. A lot of it was not his fault, but individuals get judged on their team’s success.
For those four years in Orlando though, McGrady was sublime. He is certainly one of the greatest individuals to call Orlando their sports home.
