Sixteen years in any professional sport is a lifetime, and Tracy McGrady celebrated his long tenure in the NBA by gracefully announcing his retirement on Monday.
Appearing on ESPN’s First Take McGrady revealed:
“It’s been 16 years playing the game I love. I’ve had a great run, but it’s time for it to come to an end.”
Over his career which started in 1997, the NBA star has averaged 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. Grady entered the NBA as a straight out of high school draft choice.
While McGrady nursed several injuries, he was picked up in April by the San Antonio Spurs. Despite a new contract, Grady never saw game time action.
McGrady says he is still a capable player and was disappointed that he wasn’t given the chance to help out.
“When we were in the Finals and Manu [Ginobili] was struggling, I felt I could contribute, absolutely,” McGrady said.
Before he joined the San Antonio Spurs management told him that he was an “insurance policy” and would likely not step out onto the court unless needed.
When asked if he would ever consider playing in China, Tracy McGrady gave a simply answer:
“Officially retired from the NBA. Door’s still open.”
If his “love of the game” is still in place as he claims we will likely see McGrady gracing a court somewhere in the world very soon.
Do you think Tracy McGrady is still capable of contributing to the NBA landscape or was retirement the right choice?
