Tracy McGrady Cleverly Claps Back at Egregious NBA Top 75 Snub
Not many NBA players could score the basketball like Tracy McGrady during the 2000s. The former Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets star is one of the most complete bucket-getters in the game’s history. However, he missed the cut for the NBA Top 75 list.
The NBA released the list of the best players of all time to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the league. McGrady was a seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, and two-time scoring champ. While he wasn’t the only egregious snub from the list, he was easily one of the biggest names.
Many people were upset for T-Mac, but he revealed why he ultimately gets the last laugh.
Tracy McGrady opens up on not making the NBA Top 75 list
When the NBA revealed its 75th Anniversary Team via NBA.com, many people were surprised not to see Tracy McGrady’s name on the list. He did so much for the game that it appeared to be a complete slap in the face not to include him.
Not making the NBA Top 75 got to him, but not as much as you’d expect. In a recent appearance on the Knuckleheads podcast, McGrady weighed in on the snub.
“To me, it didn’t sway me,” McGrady said. “Because if you look at it, I got the ultimate achievement as a basketball player — making it to the Hall. I mean, there’s going to be a Top 100 here in a few years, you know what I’m saying? So that doesn’t bother me at all.”
T-Mac suggested that the players understand who should be on the list and who shouldn’t.
“We know what it is as players,” he said. “We know who should be on there, and we don’t need to speak about it. But nothing beats the Hall. So, it’s all good.”
T-Mac reveals he was more upset about Dwight Howard missing the cut
Tracy McGrady felt that he deserved to make the NBA Top 75, but he was more upset about another player missing the cut: Dwight Howard.
McGrady left Orlando the season before the Magic selected Howard with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft. Still, he played against the big man throughout his prime and wholeheartedly believes Howard belongs amongst the greats.
“Not even for me,” McGrady said. “I look at Dwight Howard, who for eight years was a monster. Impact on the game, extremely dominant. Five times First-Team All-NBA, helped lead his team to the Finals. I mean, for eight years, that man was pretty damn dominant. To leave him off, now that’s disrespectful.”
Howard is now well past his prime, but he was a dominant force in his eight seasons with the Magic. The eight-time All-Star averaged 18.4 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks during that span. He also won the Defensive Player of the Year Award three times.
“That’s a travesty,” added McGrady. “But you know, it is what it is.”
The Hall of Famer is undoubtedly one of the top 75 players in NBA history
Regardless of what you want to take off the NBA Top 75 list, there’s no doubt that Tracy McGrady belongs there.
T-Mac made one of the most successful transitions from high school to the pros. Although he got off to a slow start with the Toronto Raptors, things picked up when the team traded him to the Orlando Magic.
McGrady scored 15.4 points per game in 1999. His average jumped to 26.8 points per game in 2000. The Bartow, Florida native, played 17 seasons in the NBA. He averaged 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.2 steals for his career.
T-Mac led the league in scoring in back-to-back seasons from 2002-04. He could score with the best of them. Injuries hampered him throughout his career, though. If not for the injuries, McGrady could’ve continued his dominance later in his career.
The biggest knock on Tracy McGrady is his lack of playoff success. He never won a championship, but you can’t deny his individual achievements. That’s why he’s in the Hall of Fame.
All stats courtesy of Basketball Reference
