By JOEY JOHNSTON
The Tampa Tribune
(c) Tampa Bay Times. Originally published Nov. 1, 2000.
ORLANDO – It was only an exhibition, normally a meaningless night that fades into NBA oblivion. Not this time. Four days later, everyone still was talking.
Tracy McGrady, a sleepy-eyed, precocious 21-year old who never attended college, took everyone to school. Everyone. Teammates with the Orlando Magic. The Boston Celtics. His coaches. The fans. They all looked around.
Did you see that?
McGrady was leading the fastbreak. Near the top of the circle, he shoveled an underhand pass toward the basket. Heads turned. Wait, where was the Magic cutter? The ball brushed off the backboard and hovered above the rim. McGrady had passed it, all right.
To himself.
McGrady floated through the lane, reaching the carom at its apex. Dunk. Did you see that?
You need guts to make that play. That was the proclamation on Orlando’s bench. “No you don’t,” Magic forward Monty Williams said. “You need talent.”
Orlando coach Doc Rivers swears it was a violation. He can’t explain why. It didn’t seem right. Two shot attempts, a rebound, an assist and a dunk (by the same guy, remember) befuddled opponents, confused officials, high-fiving teammates … all in the blur of about three seconds?
Pure magic.
“I think I’m going to fit in here just fine,” said Tracy McGrady, who follows his statements with understatements.
MCGRADY SUITED UP for the real games Tuesday night. Hard to believe, but he’s already a four-year NBA veteran. He never was an All-Star, never even a full-time starter at Toronto.
Still, the Magic believe. Enough to award him a $93 million contract over seven years. Enough to make him a cornerstone. Grant Hill was the more distinguished off-season acquisition. McGrady might be the key.
For openers, that was the case.
Hill’s troublesome left ankle flared up, limiting his action. Fear not. McGrady had a career-high 32 points and 12 rebounds in the 97-86 victory against the Washington Wizards. Short of activating Michael Jordan, their absentee president of basketball operations, the Wizards fruitlessly searched for defensive answers.
Felipe Lopez on the wing. Richard Hamilton bodying him up. Mitch Richmond’s quickness. Nope, nope and nope. T-Mac ate ’em up. His jumper was working. So was his slashing ability.
McGrady’s indefatigable night included four assists, two blocked shots and 46 minutes. He could’ve played more. “I’ve got a lot of energy,” he said. “I was feeding off my teammates, feeding off the crowd. It was just time for me to step up. I’ve got young legs.”
T-MAC IS BABY-FACED. Only five years ago, believe it or not, he was playing at Auburndale High School. Things went downhill when he was suspended for yelling at a teacher. He transferred to Mount Zion Christian Academy, a de facto basketball factory in Durham, N.C. When McGrady hit the summer-camp circuit, before the eyes of every major-college coach, he blossomed.
His choices were Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Florida State … and the NBA.
Against the advice of many people, he went for the money. They said he wouldn’t make it. Who’s laughing now? McGrady, the ninth pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, owns a $6.6 million mansion on five acres, just across the lake from the mansions of Shaquille O’Neal, Ken Griffey Jr. and Tiger Woods.
For one night at least, he owned a town.
McGrady, far from a finished product, will have more games like this. He’ll also have nightmares, when the shots aren’t falling.
“I’m just going to let Tracy play, then see what we have to do [in adjustments],” Rivers said. “I don’t really know what he’s going to be like. I do know he’s a guy who really wants it. He really, really does. And that’s great for me.
“I don’t yell that much. We could miss 50 shots. We could lose by 50. But if we play hard, I’ll be able to sleep. If we don’t play hard, that’s when I’ll have a major problem.”
Rivers doesn’t expect that problem with McGrady, whose nonchalant demeanor belies his fiery game. He’ll do the little things. Then he’ll do the big things, the eye-popping things. The exhibition games have ended. But McGrady’s exhibitions may just have begun.
