Advertisement - scroll for more content
Salley didn’t make the cut, but during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show this week, he admitted to pitching himself to NBC. “I’m trying to get back in, man. I auditioned to NBC. I got on the phone,” Salley told Eisen. “I said, ‘Yeah, I want to go back to NBC, I want to work in television.’ I think we need to give a different look or we need to give a perspective that I have watching it for so long and how much I train. But, they gave the job to Brad Daugherty and Tracy McGrady…good for those guys. I’m very happy for them.”
Tracy McGrady joins NBC as studio analyst
As it turns out, NBC has added at least one more former All-Star to the group with McGrady joining Carter and Anthony in the studio squad. Of course, McGrady and Carter were famously teammates with the Toronto Raptors and are also second cousins. “I’m humbled and grateful for the opportunity to join NBC Sports as the game returns to a network that helped shape so many iconic basketball memories,” said McGrady in the NBC announcement. “Basketball has given me everything, and I’ve always just tried to give that same energy back. I hope I can bring the same passion, insight, and love for the game that’s driven me since I was a kid, to all who tune in to watch on NBC and Peacock. I couldn’t be more excited to join this team alongside so many others I admire.”
Markieff Morris on Tracy McGrady: You're not Kobe Bryant
Shaquille O’Neal: Tracy McGrady made a statement the other day. He said, "If you switch him and Kobe out as far as playing with me, the outcome is the same." You agree or disagree? Markieff Morris: No, you're not just saying you're switching out with Kobe and you're going to be what Kobe was. I don't agree with that. Nothing away from nothing away from T-Mac. No, you're not Kobe. And that mentality, too. Shaquille O’Neal: I might have to disagree. Marcus Morris: The main difference Big Fella is the mentality. That killer mentality. Everybody didn't have that. Like you was a good he was a great player, don't get me wrong, but it was times that Michael Jordan and Kobe I felt like that Mike gave Kobe something that nobody else would be able to be able to even imitate and be able to like have that mentality. No other players had it really. Shaquille O’Neal: You don't think I could have won three with T-Mac? I think I could have.
Advertisement
Vince Carter had long been interested in sports ownership. During and after his basketball career, he met with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressing that sentiment, but no teams were available at the time. Mostly, he just wanted to put himself on the league’s radar. Then, his cousin, Tracy McGrady, called about the NFL opportunity. For the first time in franchise history, Buffalo and its owners, Terry and Kim Pegula, were looking to add minority stakeholders. Carter was open to it. “I'm thrilled to be a part of it,” he said. “I never imagined in my wildest dreams of being a part of an ownership group in football. Luckily, I played it (until after my freshman year at Mainland High School), so I feel comfortable being in it. But I didn't think this opportunity would come about, and it did.”
Tracy McGrady: Kobe Bryant helped me through my whole career
Tracy McGrady on Kobe Bryant: Having Cob at the time when I was a rookie, I could pick up the phone, call Kobe, cuz he's somebody that I leaned on, you know, religiously at that time, very intelligent person. He's very grounded. He comes from two-parent home. Like his structure and my structure are totally two different structures. I needed to have that conversation and learn from him who had the structure and had the intelligence to help me maneuver through this bullshit that I know nothing about. So, it was good that we had the same agency. We both were Adidas guys at the time, but I could just pick up the phone and call my man and be like, "Yo, I'm struggling with this. What should I do?" And he was so gracious enough to give me the game. And that was through our whole career.
Tracy McGrady when he played his first game with Knicks: We’re playing against Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. And I'm feeling good about there. I scored 26 in the first half, giving them the work right on one leg. Man, that next game I tried to play with the same adrenaline, it wasn’t there anymore. I was trash. Straight trash. After that game, it was ‘Mac is back’. Carmelo Anthony: Then… New York ain't it. No, sir.
Tracy McGrady on 2004 ROY: I thought Carmelo Anthony should have won it over LeBron James
McGrady looked back on his opinion of James and Anthony amid their respective rookie campaigns, while James failed to reach the playoffs with the Cleveland Cavs, Anthony led the Nuggets to a playoff berth, per 7PM in Brooklyn. “You knew Melo, Bron, and those dudes were gonna be tough. Honestly, I mean, no shade to anybody, but I thought he should have won Rookie of the Year because you took your team to the playoffs,” McGrady said. “That is a tremendous accomplishment for a rookie to come in, have that spotlight on him, like that, and to get slighted on Rookie of the Year, I ain't like that at all.”
Tracy McGrady: I never felt like I had (financials) under control. Ever. I was trying to control it the best way I possibly could because I was—I didn’t have the knowledge. Right. Right. I’m young. I didn’t have the knowledge. I’m just maneuvering through this [] just by trial—trial and error. Just trying to figure it out as I go. But having Kobe at the time, right, I could pick up the phone, call Kobe, right, cuz he’s somebody that I leaned on, you know, religiously at that time. Very intelligent person, right? He’s very grounded. He comes from two-parent home. Like his structure and my structure are totally two different structures. I needed to have that conversation and—and—and learn from him who had the structure and had the intelligence to help me maneuver through this [] that I know nothing about, right? So it was good that, you know, we had the same agency. We both was Adidas guys at the time. But I could just pick up the phone and call my man and be like, 'Yo, I’m—I’m struggling with this. What—what should I do?' And he was, you know, so gracious enough to give me the game. And uh that was through our whole career."
Advertisement
Olden Polynice on Tracy McGrady, Jeff Teague: It's a bum mindset to criticize Kobe Bryant
Q. There's a lot of podcasts out there now, a lot of former players doing shows and… Olden Polynice: Bums! Q. I’ve never seen so much slander on Kobe in my whole life, and all of it is just trash. What's your thought on this? Olden Polynice: I agree with you wholeheartedly. And the problem that I'm having is bums are talking. And I'm not saying that Tracy McGrady or whoever, Jeff Teague, are bums, okay? But it's a bum mindset to criticize this man. And he's not here to defend himself. You didn't say any of this bullsh*t when he was alive. Not one of y'all opened your mouths and said, "No. Oh my god, I love you. I love your shoes and everything else." No. Let the man rest in peace. I'm sick and tired of this crap with these people. It's some bullsh*t. Excuse me. And you know I ain't never cussed until now cuz now I'm offended. It's some bullsh*t. The man is dead, man. And y'all are going to be criticizing. Come on, man. That's one of the things I hate about this damn world, man. Everybody's using certain opportunities. They're being opportunistic because this man's no longer here to defend himself. But you guys loved him. You love his shoes. You love everything about him, and now all of a sudden, ‘Oh yeah, I was way better.’ No, you were not. Stop with the bullsh*t. I'm serious. This is whack, man. Get the hell off the air.
"T-Mac, I'm telling you dog, listen — T-Mac was another level," Pierce said on Paul George's podcast. As terrific as McGrady was, he couldn't do it alone. In Orlando, the best players he played with were an oft-injured Grant Hill and a young Mike Miller. In Houston, he had the pleasure of playing with Chinese phenom Yao Ming. However, the 7'6" behemoth also dealt with a litany of injuries and was already out of the NBA after just eight seasons. "He needed that one other superstar. If you had to put T-Mac with KG, if you had to put T-Mac with Shaq, you know, yeah," Paul stressed. "People be like, 'Oh he played with Yao.' Yao was kind of hurt. He was in and out. And like, you put T-Mac with LeBron, man come on."
As a primary player, he never advanced past the first round. His legacy took a hit despite being elected to the Hall of Fame. He spoke about it recently in wake of LeBron James' comments about ring culture in the NBA. McGrady said he would have won titles if he were in the right situation during Friday's episode of First Take on ESPN. He used Kobe Bryant as an example. Bryant won his first three titles while playing alongside Shaquille O'Neal. "You don't think I could win a championship," McGrady said. "You don't think I could carry the Lakers to a championship?"
Jorge Sierra: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander passed all these players in playoff scoring tonight: Tracy McGrady Mychal Thompson Anthony Edwards Archie Clark Jermaine O'Neal Paul Silas Bradley Beal Sean Elliott Cedric Maxwell Kevin Love Rolando Blackman He's No. 205 all-time now.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement