Whenever we think of high school players skipping college and heading straight for the NBA, we think of guys like Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and Lebron James. These three are currently enjoying Hall of Fame worthy careers in the NBA and have proven that players taken straight out of high school have what it takes to become superstars in the NBA. Another straight out of high school player that many of today’s fans might not be familiar with is Tracy McGrady, or more popularly known to his fans as “T-Mac.”
McGrady came into the league when he was chosen by the Toronto Raptors with the 9th overall pick during the 1st round of the 1997 NBA Draft. T-Mac would come off the bench during his first two seasons with the Raptors. By the 1998-1999 season, McGrady would be teamed up with his cousin Vince Carter with whom he would form one of the more exciting guard-forward duos in the NBA.
T-Mac’s first breakout season came during the 1999-2000 season as he would average 15 points and an impressive 1.9 blocks per game. He also participated in the Slam Dunk Contest which would eventually be won by Carter. It was also during this season that McGrady and Carter helped gave the Raptors their first playoff berth in franchise history. However, they would be swept by the New York Knicks during the first round.
Feeling that he was being overshadowed by his cousin Vince, McGrady would become a free agent in the summer of 2000 and sign with the Orlando Magic. He would play alongside Grant Hill during his early years in Orlando, but injuries would plague Hill during his stay with the Magic. As a result of this, McGrady carried most of the offensive load for the Magic and his improved play for the season would make him an All-Star starter for the first time in his career and garner him the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award. It was during this time that T-Mac had emerged as a rising superstar in the NBA.
However, despite all of his offensive outbursts and consistent performances during the playoffs, McGrady has never been able to lead his team past the first round of the post season. This would continue to be one of the more negative aspects of McGrady’s career. His career would also be plagued by injuries as he had to undergo microfracture surgery which made him miss the entire 2008-2009 season.
After his recovery from surgery, McGrady has never been able to bring back the explosiveness that once made him one of the most exciting players in the NBA. Injuries would continue to haunt him throughout his career and he eventually bounced from team to team until playing his last NBA season with the Atlanta Hawks.
Nevertheless, T-Mac has truly established himself as one of the few players that were drafted straight out of high school and became superstars in the NBA. When it is all said and done, fans will be able to look back at the career of Tracy McGrady and give him the recognition he rightfully deserves.