If you were a basketball fan in the 2000s, there was no bigger name than Tracy McGrady. He was one of the most potent scorers the league has ever seen. 

His career is marked by incredible performances, such as scoring 62 points in a game against the Detroit Pistons and an exciting 13-point burst in 13 seconds to close out a game against the defensive maestro Bruce Bowen and the Spurs.

But now that he’s retired from the NBA, what happened to Tracy McGrady? What went wrong with his career? And where is he now?

What is Tracy McGrady Known For?

As an 18-year-old rookie in 1997, he averaged 7 points per game. He won the Most Improved Player Award in 2000 when he raised his scoring average to 15.4 points per game. 

He made it to his first All-Star Game in 2001 when he started playing as the primary scoring option for the Orlando Magic, where he stayed for four productive seasons.

With the lineup of the Magic being tailored to McGrady’s style of basketball, he became one of the most prolific scorers in the league and scored 28.1 points per game during his four-year stint with the Florida-based franchise. However, he would never be able to get past the first round of the Playoffs as a Magic.

In 2004, he signed with the Houston Rockets, where he enjoyed the most success as an NBA player. However, injuries, mired with the disappointment of losing season after losing season, eventually led to his departure from the team in 2010. 

He played basketball for three more years with four other NBA teams and even a brief stint in China before retiring from basketball in 2013. Tracy McGrady retired from basketball, known as one of the most feared scorers in the early 2000s. He scored over 18,000 points in his career and was known for his long-range shots and slashing ability.

Tracy McGrady NBA Career Highlights

McGrady’s NBA career was full of highlights. In 2005, he scored 13 points in the last 35 seconds of the game to help the Rockets beat the San Antonio Spurs by 1 point. He also led the league in scoring twice–once with 32.8 points per game and another time with 28.1 points per game–and was named to the All-NBA First Team twice.

But McGrady isn’t just a statistical wonder; he’s also a joy to watch on the court with his smooth jump shots and ability to create space on offense. He once scored 62 points against Orlando, which makes him one of the 34 players to have scored more than 60 points in an NBA game.

Another highlight of T-Mac’s career was leading the overwhelmingly overmatched Orlando team against a stacked Detroit Pistons in the 2002-2003 playoffs. He almost single-handedly carried his team to the second round with his extraordinary offensive performance, averaging 31.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and two steals per game in an exciting 7-game series.

For his contributions to the game, Tracy McGrady was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017, just four years after retirement.

What Went Wrong for Tracy McGrady?

Several factors played a role in Tracy McGrady’s decline. First, injuries took their toll on T-Mac’s game. His career was marked by recurring knee and lower back problems, which forced him to miss significant time and likely contributed to his fall from grace as he aged. 

His production also declined rapidly as he got older – not necessarily because he was less talented but because his body didn’t have what it took to get through a season without injuries.

Additionally, McGrady had some lousy luck with management during his prime years with Orlando and Houston; both teams were poorly managed. In Orlando, he was left without a supporting star player to play alongside him; in Houston, he was stuck on an aging team that didn’t have the personnel to compete for a championship. 

Unfortunately, McGrady wasn’t a winner. He didn’t have the mental toughness to be a great player in the NBA and was often criticized for his lack of effort on defense. The basketball superstar also confessed that focus in practice wasn’t his strong suit which could have led to some of his inconsistencies on the court. 

Tracy McGrady’s history of injuries also played a part in him slowing as he got older, but it’s hard to say how much they factored into his decline since so many other players suffered from similar issues at that time. Had he paid more attention to training, there’s a chance that he could’ve been a better shape to cope with the injuries.

What Could Have Been for Tracy McGrady?

Tracy McGrady was a terrific player. He could score from anywhere on the court, had guts and heart, and was fun to watch. You’ll still hear people talking about his 13 points in 35 seconds game because it’s one of the most memorable moments in NBA history. 

But what if T-Mac could have stayed healthy? He had many good years left and could still put up 20 points per game at an efficient rate.

If McGrady had been healthy for his entire career instead of being forced into retirement due to injuries, the Rockets could have been contenders year after year. The stats support this: they’ve won 146 out of 220 games when they played together on the court in the six years they spent as teammates on the Rockets.

Players he went against were also very vocal about how difficult it was to guard him. He was almost 3-inches taller than the average NBA guard then, so he could shoot over them. He was quicker and faster than the big men his size, so he could drive around them. 

Kobe Bryant was the only player that could match him in speed, strength, and size. And even then, McGrady still had a slight height advantage and a better skill set than Kobe, as he was a much better 3-point scorer than the Lakers legend.

He had a style of play that can be described as a cross between LeBron James and Kevin Durant. He was a great passer and could also shoot the ball very well. He had a variety of moves that made it difficult for defenders to guard him, including an array of low post sneak attacks, face-up jumpers from outside 15 feet, and drives to the basket that he would finish with either his left or right hand. 

He was also an excellent rebounder for someone his size and length due to his athleticism. He was also an underrated defender who had the knack for jumping the passing lanes to get steals and deflections.

Tracy McGrady’s Life After Basketball

Tracy McGrady retired from the game of basketball in 2013. He’s now a businessman, having invested in a number of companies, including his investment firm, Seven1 Sports Group, and Entertainment.

McGrady got married to his wife Clerenda Harris-McGrady in 2006, and they have four children together. He’s pretty private about his personal life, so there isn’t much resource on his wife and kids other than the fact that he’s very happy with them.

These days, you can catch him on ESPN as an analyst and guest for various shows covering the NBA. But, he’s most visible in the basketball league he created founded – The Ones Basketball League (OBL). It’s a one-on-one basketball league that celebrates undiscovered talent while bringing together the world’s best one-on-one players in a world-class event.

Wrapping Things Up: What Happened to Tracy McGrady?

Tracy McGrady was a prolific scorer who could get it done from anywhere on the court and he has the accolades to prove it. However, his career was also marked by injuries and underperformance. Despite being an eight-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection, he never quite met expectations because he suffered from poor luck and bad management decisions during key moments in his career.

Whether or not you think Tracy McGrady belongs in the Hall of Fame, there’s no denying he was one of the best scorers in the history of the NBA. He has a long list of accomplishments and accolades to show for his time on the court but, unfortunately, didn’t have much luck when it came to staying healthy during his prime years.

If you’re interested in learning Tracy McGrady‘s story, check out this basketball biography book.

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