McGrady finally gets his big prize
Coveted Hall of Fame induction to fill void of title he never won
The event would be one of many to mark the occasion, a night to revel in a lifetime achievement. But for Tracy McGrady’s family and friends, gathered last month at a downtown hotel, it was more.
The party was to celebrate McGrady’s induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. But as they congratulated the guest of honor, who had been surprised by the bash, there was a clear sense that when induction day arrives in Springfield, Mass., McGrady will at last be appreciated for what was, rather than what could have been.
McGrady never doubted his own worthiness and said this week he was “one of the greats.”
On Friday, it will be official, the ultimate rejoinder to the debate.
“It was great because you could sense there was a feeling among his people that ‘finally, he gets his due,’ ” former Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. “I didn’t sense that as much with Tracy. He’s always been at peace
with who he is and what he accomplished in the game. But … Friday, he gets his due and that’s really cool.”
For McGrady, induction will be the championship he never won.
He famously never advanced to the playoffs’ second round — he was out with an injury when the Rockets broke through in 2009 — before going along for the ride on the bench with San Antonio in his final NBA season. But from the April announcement that he had been selected to the private August celebration in Houston to this weekend in Springfield, McGrady has felt the elation that escaped him as a player.
“I’m damn proud of going into the Hall of Fame,” McGrady said. “When I see myself play, there was no doubt I was one of the best players playing. There’s no doubt about that. Now, if you take what I did and put me on a winning team, now you’re talking about one of the best of all times. So yes, I was one of the greats.” Window of opportunity
McGrady, as with Yao Ming heading to his induction a year ago, always will be evaluated in part by the disappointments that came first from back issues, then by knee problems. But the injuries were not just his.
If Grant Hill was not hurt in Orlando, if Yao was not hurt in Houston …
“Then, we’re playing for a championship,” McGrady said, jumping in. “They were devastating blows to me. You only have a short span in this league to really win it. Kobe (Bryant) had long, extended time winning. Very few have that. When it’s your time when you’re considered one of the best, that’s the time you have to capitalize on winning as a team.”
McGrady was heavily criticized when he said “anybody” can win a championship. But he said his experience with the Spurs, when he played just 31 minutes in six postseason games, offered evidence that good fortune can deliver a championship ring. But not the Hall of Fame jewelry he will wear this weekend.
“When I made that statement that anybody can win a championship but everybody can’t get in the Hall of Fame, it was not to discredit the greats that have won championships,” McGrady said. “I’m saying if you want to talk about me getting in the Hall of Fame without winning a championship, I have to come at you and say, ‘anybody can win a championship,’ which is so true.
“Anybody means any individual person. It doesn’t mean ‘everybody.’ I was one shot (Ray Allen’s corner 3) from winning a championship, and I didn’t even play. If you’re offended by that, tough …”
As much as McGrady’s career was filled with firstround losses, his own play generally improved in the postseason, averaging more points and assists in the playoffs than in the regular season.
“He was one of the best to ever do it,” Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said. “People get into rings, rings, rings, rings when they judge players. It’s ridiculous when you look at the great players who haven’t won championships. Every playoffs, he elevated his game in a big way. That’s the true nature of a superstar, a guy who can get better when the competition gets better. That’s extraordinarily difficult.” Passing his true forte
Beyond that, McGrady clearly looked the part, with abilities that were greater than his numbers. Van Gundy cited McGrady’s years as “an unbelievable defender” in Toronto and marveled about his vision and passing in Houston where he played parts of six seasons.
“How can you be a scoring champion and it’s not your best attribute?” Van Gundy said. “His best attribute is he’s one of the best passing forwards to ever play the game.”
Carroll Dawson, the GM who put together the trade that brought McGrady to the Rockets after consecutive scoring championship, cited the 13 points in the final 35 seconds McGrady scored to beat the Spurs in 2004. But he, too, needed time to get past the disappointments.
“What could have been bothered me for a long time,” Dawson said. “When we lost the team that won (the championships), we started over. Tracy went down, then Yao. It was disheartening. We had such high hopes. But when I think of Tracy, I think about him scoring those 13 points. In all my years, that’s the most jaw- dropping thing I’ve ever seen.
“He was always known for his scoring, but the way he saw the floor was just amazing. He was a great passer. People here got just a glimpse of how great he was.”
When McGrady takes the stage Friday, that glimpse will come into focus. What could have been will at last be a distant second to what was.
“I didn’t have the opportunity to win a championship,” McGrady said. “I gave everything I possibly could. I tried to lead in the way I could, with my play. It didn’t happen. I’m not happy I didn’t win a championship, but very excited to be getting inducted into the Hall of Fame. This is my championship.”