Tracy McGrady
Basketball · Hometown: Bartow, FL
- High school
- Auburndale High School
- Pro team(s)
- Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, San Antonio Spurs, China
- Hall of Fame
- ⭐ Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Tracy Lamar McGrady Jr. was born on May 24, 1979, in Bartow, Florida (Polk County), and attended Auburndale High School before transferring to Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, North Carolina, a prominent basketball prep school. The Toronto Raptors selected him ninth overall in the 1997 NBA Draft when he was just 18 years old, and he spent 16 seasons in the NBA as one of the most gifted offensive players the league has ever seen. At his peak with the Orlando Magic (2000-2004) and the Houston Rockets (2004-2010), McGrady was arguably the most difficult player in the league to guard: his 6-foot-8 frame, long wingspan, and deadly mid-range jumper allowed him to score from virtually any spot on the floor, and he won back-to-back NBA scoring titles in 2002-03 (32.1 ppg) and 2003-04 (28.0 ppg). His most celebrated individual moment came on December 9, 2004, when he scored 13 points in 35 seconds — including four three-pointers — to erase a 10-point deficit and defeat the San Antonio Spurs in one of the most astonishing individual performances in NBA history. Chronic knee and shoulder injuries prevented him from fully realizing his championship potential, but the body of work he left — seven All-Star selections, two scoring titles, and a catalog of individual brilliance — secured his legacy. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017. Born in Bartow, Florida.