Wednesday, October 10th, 2012 at 9:00 am  |  104 responses

Tracy McGrady Says Goodbye to the NBA


by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

Tracy McGrady’s remarkable 16-year NBA career has come to an end.

The 7-time All-Star and 2-time scoring champion has decided to try his luck in China.

McGrady confirmed rumors that he was close to a deal with the Qingdao DoubleStar Eagles of the Chinese Basketball Association — the agreement was reached on Tuesday.

T-Mac posted a farewell message to the NBA on his Facebook and personal website. Below is a snippet:

There are times in life that a new road presents itself and it appears this time has come for me now. I am so proud of what I have accomplished these past 15 years playing in the NBA. It was a dream entering the league as I just turned 18 years old. I worked hard and poured my heart and soul into this game. I consider myself a student of the game as I have watched, studied and played with and against the best players in the world. The NBA was my University and I learned so much. The gratitude I feel is really immeasurable. I have experienced the best moments a player can experience and have had some dark ones too. Both equally important in helping shape me into the man I am today.

As I enter this next chapter, I am excited to play for Qingdao Eagles in China. I have been to China several times in the last few years and I love the people and the country. It will be an honor to play for them. Thank you to every fan that has followed me and believed in me. Injuries and all, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I am proud of the mark I left on this game and am grateful to have been a part this league. It was a dream to play in front of all of you, each night, in every stadium. Thank you.

Happy trails, Tracy.

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  • manhandled

    lol. Kobe is no more of an all-around play than Tracy was in his prime. Neither one of their rebounding numbers aren`t anything that jumps out at you. They both brought down 5 rebounds and about 4 assists a game, one at 6’6/6’7 and the other at 6’8. Tracy has a slight rebounding edge and Kobe has a slight assists edge. IF Tracy could`ve stayed healthy his all around numbers would have been better because he was a better rebounder and was the more un-selfish of the two. Before the injuries started piling up he averaged close to 8 rebounds a game for a couple years. And he easily could`ve averaged 5 assists per game for his career if wasn`t for all the injured seasons.

  • Datkid

    you are a jackass

  • Datkid

    A hall of famer. even with those horrible horrible knees

  • manhandled

    I agree that his offensive game during his prime was something nasty. He was the best scorer in his prime. He was unstoppable.

  • Caboose

    Hm, I think his prime was better than Coleman’s. But I get the comparison. Know who is the Coleman version of Coleman? Cousins.

  • LakeShow

    Defense.

  • Salty

    I remember that game and the post game interview with Popovich. Craig Sager asked, “what happened out there?” and Popovich lost it: “Psh…guys get hot, how the hell should I know why guys get hot. What a ridiculous question.”….or something along those lines. Understandably, the last thing you want after a game like that is to talk to a goof in a mustard colored suit.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    He was in the league before Vince so he didn’t need to mention him with Oakley and those guys.

  • manhandled

    what about it?

  • charliewinning

    Kobe may be the most overrated defender of all time, but when those two were in their primes Kobe was actually better at it than Mac. Effort on the defensive end was the biggest difference.

  • LakeShow

    You know.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    Most overrated defender of all time? A little extreme, no?

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    Kobe played it. T-Mac didn’t.

  • http://twitter.com/Jzakoni Verified Account

    he went hard in that last 3o sec

  • HAMMER

    So sad. But time comes for everyone, eventually. I wish T-Mac the best of luck. He will be missed, no doubt. Thanks for the memories Tracy.

  • charliewinning

    Considering how many undeserved all-defensive nods he’s gotten, it’s not extreme at all. No other player has gotten that much recognition for something he barely did consistently.

  • LakeShow

    See here’s the problem… Kobe got numerous All Defense nods for being one of the better defenders at the guard position, but he was rarely the best. He was a very, very, good defender, but just not up to his accolades.
    Overrated sounds harsh, but it’s true despite his consistent defensive effort yearly, he didn’t deserve First team as often as he got it.

  • manhandled

    That`s about right. When they`re giving 100% effort both Kobe and Tracy are above average defenders. Neither can be described as great. Both have obvious lapses in defense, Tracy a few more than Kobe. But kobe`s overall effort on that side of the ball is greater which is really the only difference. lol. you`re right though. There are some people who has Kobe as one of the greatest defenders of all time at his position but truth be told, he`s not even one of the best during this time. He`s a notch or two above average.

  • RKJ92

    LOL Shawn Bradley’s SALTYYYY

  • MACARONI

    Wow one of my favorite players of all time. Its sad to see you leave. Good luck in all aspects of life T-Mac. 1

  • manhandled

    Let`s be real about it. The all-defensive honor is packaged, gift-wrapped and handed to Kobe before the season starts.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    *never the best

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Cousins has that potential, but he is not a disappointment. He was a monster the whole second half of last season in fact.
    .
    Right now it would have to be Darko wouldn’t it? Or since Coleman did have success for a few years and then fell off, maybe, Amar’e would be a more apt comparison?

  • LakeShow

    My B. Correct.
    I just mean’t on a nightly basis. Kobe was sometimes the best defensive guard on a night, but never over a season.

  • aicomeback

    is there a reason why chris mullin got in cuz if mullin can get in than tmac has gotta go in too

  • showtime

    wow time flies i still Remember that Commercial he has with adidas..Thats when bball & hiphop was at it best.”birdman what happen to that boi” They wondering about how all the kids are coming to league, its okay i will educate them ,something to that extent..& that A.I.with jadakiss CLASSIC..

  • showtime

    highschool days..those Tmac 2 got major traction with my AAu team

  • jp7

    T-Mac in his prime had the best looking offensive game and style of all time, everything he did was filthy, handles, jumpers, cross overs, threes, shot fakes, pull ups, fade aways, turn arounds, dunks, reverses, put backs, runners, hook shots, floaters, lay ups, up and unders, finger rolls, dishes, no looks, pass fakes etc aka everything lol Nobody made the game look better.

  • SpoilMii Scorpio

    @9c59b100d86728d2783a3139c718c9c6:disqus

  • roscoe

    my favorite tmac moment was in the all star game (not sure which year; either 01 or 02)when he threw it off the backboard from around the free throw line & threw down a tomahawk on at least three guys. tmac, thanks for the amazing.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    Surprised he left Vince off it though…he named all the main guys from the 99-00 Raptors except for Vince. Hmm.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    That shoutout to Kobe is awesome.

  • MikeC.

    Based on what? I’m not trying to be a butthole, but just know there are players with better resumes still waiting.

  • Datkid

    2 scoring titles 7 all star appearances ad one of the greatest PER seasons in basketball EVER

  • Datkid

    @disqus_pjIQMFNqgq:disqus @disqus_rOeXXBD2qs:disqus neither him nor Yao were ever really healthy tho. Had they both been in perfect health I would agree.

  • Marco

    dude was amazing. nobody remembers that before lebron’s cross court bullett passes there were t-mac cross court bullett passes. and his scoring prowess was just incredible

  • Matisse

    If you were basing a players greatness on pure aesthetics, then Tracy Mcgrady is the greatest ball player ever. Michael Jordan, Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson be damned.

  • dma_pdx

    who would have thought TMac would leave the NBA before Grant Hill? Damn shame

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    I think he was naming the guys who were older than him and helped him along. He came into the league before Vince did.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    They were healthy enough to get past Dallas in that series when T-Mac dunked all over Shawn Bradley.

  • clydesays

    Remarkable? Maybe for having an incredible talent that somehow never broke through. He had health issues & motivation issues & whatever else. Still though, he was insane to watch when he was on…

  • roscoe

    injuries, and playing thru injuries typically creates your type of beliefs. i ain’t saying they aint founded, but the whole story is not always known

  • shutup

    Please just jumpoff Kobe’s nuts for one sec. Outta those 500 words or so you picked that to harp on, smh.

  • http://www.facebook.com/qcollingwood Interdico Scriptor

    Nooooooo…….

  • pposse

    they left out all of this cause he mentions stephen a smith

  • SirGrey

    That was one of the series bet on by Tim Donaghy, so it doesn’t count…

  • pposse

    its kind of funny he mentions jeff van gundy..i remember van gundy gave tmac a low blow when artest and yao got out of the first round the year tmac got hurt van gundy was like “i wanna take this time to congratulate tmac for finally getting out of the first round, job well done” and he didn’t stop there, he kept going and going..always thought that they were at odds

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    I don’t think you know the meaning of “harping on” something. I thought it was a cool gesture, especially because he didn’t mention other contemporaries like AI, Ray Allen, etc.

  • shutup

    Harp on
    Meaning
    To repeatedly and boringly speak about a topic.

    Yeah, I know that meaning and find it sickening that your man love for Kobe only let you take that away from those 3 paragraphs.

  • Nick

    in those 8 years he was a once in a life time talent, up there with likes of kobe and lebron with what he was able to do on a basketball court. there were periods where he was a much better all around player then kobe. Reggie Miller was clutch and i love him. as a player… but reggie never had the abilitys and talent tmac did. not even close.

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