Before becoming one of the best players in the league in the 2000s, Tracy McGrady also went through a period of a capricious teenager who wanted to control everything. In particular the destination which would be attributed to him in the 1997 Draft.
So just 18 years old, “T-Mac” had only one obsession at the time: avoiding Rick Pitinoa coach referenced in the NCAA (two titles) and newly appointed head of the Celtics, after leading Kentucky for ten years.
” In college, I remember that I had been recruited by Kentucky and I already knew how tough and severe Rick Pitino was… Then he left, he became the coach of Boston and I said to myself that I didn’t know if I wanted to play for him “, confides in any case the Hall of Famer, in a podcast.
Nonetheless, the former Rockets and Magic player insists he had no problem with the Boston franchise itself. Only with the methods of the mythical (but controversial) Rick Pitino, who made him drool in “workout” and it was therefore necessary to find a way to cool the C’s…
Tracy McGrady didn’t want to play for a ‘too tough, too severe’ coach
” Boston was probably my toughest workout. I didn’t mind playing for Boston, but I didn’t want to play under Rick Pitino at that time because he was too tough, too tough… It was about finding a way to hurt me and to stop them from drafting me, not to mention. So I conducted my interviews correctly with everyone except the Celtics… “, then specifies the person concerned, who thus scuttled himself.
That year, we remember that Tracy McGrady finally won his case, because he was drafted in 9th position by Toronto and that Boston, certainly in possession of the 3rd and 6th choices, respectively drafted Chauncey Billups then Ron Mercer. For their success in Massachusetts…
| Tracy McGrady | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 1997-98 | TOR | 64 | 18 | 45.0 | 34.1 | 71.2 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 4.2 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 7.1 |
| 1998-99 | TOR | 49 | 23 | 43.6 | 22.9 | 72.6 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 5.7 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 9.4 |
| 1999-00 | TOR | 79 | 31 | 45.1 | 27.7 | 70.7 | 2.4 | 4.0 | 6.3 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 15.4 |
| 2000-01 | ENT | 77 | 40 | 45.7 | 35.5 | 73.3 | 2.5 | 5.0 | 7.5 | 4.6 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 26.8 |
| 2001-02 | ENT | 76 | 38 | 45.1 | 36.4 | 74.8 | 2.0 | 5.9 | 7.9 | 5.3 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 25.6 |
| 2002-03 | ENT | 75 | 39 | 45.7 | 38.6 | 79.3 | 1.6 | 4.9 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 32.1 |
| 2003-04 | ENT | 67 | 40 | 41.7 | 33.9 | 79.6 | 1.4 | 4.6 | 6.0 | 5.5 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 0.6 | 28.0 |
| 2004-05 | HOO | 78 | 41 | 43.1 | 32.6 | 77.4 | 0.9 | 5.3 | 6.2 | 5.7 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 25.7 |
| 2005-06 | HOO | 47 | 37 | 40.6 | 31.2 | 74.7 | 1.0 | 5.6 | 6.5 | 4.8 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 2.6 | 0.9 | 24.4 |
| 2006-07 | HOO | 71 | 36 | 43.1 | 33.1 | 70.7 | 0.8 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 6.5 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 0.5 | 24.6 |
| 2007-08 | HOO | 66 | 37 | 41.9 | 29.2 | 68.4 | 0.6 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 5.9 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 21.6 |
| 2008-09 | HOO | 35 | 34 | 38.8 | 37.6 | 80.1 | 0.6 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 15.6 |
| 2009-10* | All Teams | 30 | 22 | 38.7 | 25.0 | 74.6 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 8.2 |
| 2009-10* | NYK | 24 | 26 | 38.9 | 24.2 | 75.4 | 0.9 | 2.8 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 9.4 |
| 2009-10* | HOO | 6 | 8 | 36.8 | 50.0 | 66.7 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 3.2 |
| 2010-11 | TED | 72 | 23 | 44.2 | 34.1 | 69.8 | 0.7 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 8.0 |
| 2011-12 | ATL | 52 | 16 | 43.7 | 45.5 | 67.5 | 0.4 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 5.3 |
| Total | 938 | 33 | 43.5 | 33.8 | 74.6 | 1.4 | 4.2 | 5.6 | 4.4 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 19.6 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
