Tracy McGrady Biography

One of the greatest scorers in Houston Rockets history, Tracy McGrady has enjoyed years of success in the NBA.

Tracy McGrady: Growing Up

Born on May 24, 1979, Tracy McGrady, Jr. – who is also known by his nickname “T-Mac” – grew up in Auburndale, Florida, where he would soon be become immersed in the world of sports. During high school, Tracy McGrady excelled in baseball and dreamed of becoming a baseball star in the MLB. In his junior year, Tracy McGrady laced up the sneakers and wowed coaches with his stellar play, averaging 23.1 PPG and 12.2 RPG in one season. However, it wasn’t until one monstrous, windmill dunk in his senior year that the rest of the sports world would take notice of the rising talent that was Tracy McGrady.

Tracy McGrady transferred to play one season at North Carolina’s Mount Zion Christian Academy, where he was offered a scholarship. Behind Tracy McGrady’s 27.5 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 7.7 APG, 2.8 SPG, and excellent shooting from all over the floor, the Mount Zion Mighty Warriors surged to a 20-1 record on the season. Tracy McGrady was named “Player of the Year” by USA Today and The Associated Press, among other accolades. Tracy McGrady would enter the NBA after graduating from high school.

Tracy McGrady: Toronto Raptors

With the No. 9 pick in the first round of the 1997 NBA Draft, the Toronto Raptors picked up the burgeoning young star, Tracy McGrady. Mainly a bench player in his first two seasons with the Toronto Raptors, Tracy McGrady would enjoy a breakout season during the Toronto Raptors’ 1999-2000 campaign, where he averaged 15.4 PPG, 1.9 BPG, and finishing third in the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest behind his second cousin and teammate Vince Carter and Houston Rockets guard, Steve Francis. On the shoulders of Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter, the Toronto Raptors made the NBA playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 2000.

Tracy McGrady: Orlando Magic

In Summer 2000, a sign-and-trade deal brought Tracy McGrady back to his native Florida to play for the Orlando Magic. The pairing of Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill made fans with NBA tickets salivate, but an injury to Grant Hill thrust Tracy McGrady into the spotlight as the Orlando Magic’s No. 1 scoring option. In his first two seasons with the Orlando Magic, Tracy McGrady earned the 2001 NBA Most Improved Player Award, was twice named an All-Star, and led the Magic to back-to-back playoffs. Fans with NBA tickets watched Tracy McGrady continue his ascent to superstardom, averaging 32.1 PPG in 2002-03 and 28 PPG in 2003-04, winning the NBA scoring title both seasons.

Tracy McGrady: Houston Rockets

The Orlando Magic and Tracy McGrady parted ways in the summer of 2004, as the Magic traded Tracy McGrady, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue, and Reece Gaines to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley, and Kelvin Cato. At the start of the 2004-05 NBA season, Houston Rockets tickets featured the dynamic duo of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. Together, the Houston Rockets snagged the No. 5 seed in the West and fans with Houston Rockets tickets watched Tracy McGrady lead the Houston Rockets back into the NBA Playoffs.

The 2005-06 NBA season saw Tracy McGrady miss multiple games due to back spasms, which continued into the early part of the 2006-07 NBA season. With Tracy McGrady suffering from chronic back pain, Yao Ming emerged as the Houston Rockets No. 1 scoring option. However, when Yao Ming went down with injury, Tracy McGrady stepped up and proved to fans with Houston Rockets tickets that he was still one of the NBA’s top scoring threats, averaging 24.6 PPG and a career-high 6.5 APG on the season. As the No. 5 seed the West, the Houston Rockets would reach the playoffs once again but could not escape the first round.

In the 2007-08 NBA season, fans with Houston Rockets tickets were excited to see what damage a healthy Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming could do. Come December, Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming were firing at full force until Yao Ming went down with a season-ending injury; Tracy McGrady would once again be the go-to guy on the Houston Rockets offense. Tracy McGrady and the Houston Rockets silenced critics and made history to boot with a record-breaking 22-game win streak. As the No. 5 seed in the West, the Houston Rockets faced and fell to the Utah Jazz, but Tracy McGrady (21.6 PPG, 5.9 APG, 5.1 RPG) was a big reason that the Houston Rockets made the NBA playoffs to begin with.

Tracy McGrady: 2008-09 Season

A seven-time NBA All Star and seven-time All-NBA selection, Tracy McGrady will enter his 12th NBA season and his 5th season with the Houston Rockets basketball team. Houston Rockets tickets will feature one of the most explosive Houston Rockets teams in franchise history, with Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, and Ron Artest teaming up. Fans with Houston Rockets tickets know that Tracy McGrady is hungrier than ever to make the playoffs and finally get the first-round monkey off his back.