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Orlando Magic Daily Roundtable: Tracy McGrady Edition

By Philip Rossman-Reich

ORLANDO, FL - APRIL 27: Orlando Magic's Tracy McGrady display threes on each hand after shooting a three pointer to the score at 92 points to send the game into overtime during the game against Charlotte Hornets at the first round of Eastern Conference playoffs at the TD Waterhouse Centre in Orlando, FL, 27 April 2002. The Magic lost 100 to 110 as the Hornets pulled ahead and won game three. (Photo credit should read CALVIN KNIGHT/AFP/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - APRIL 27: Orlando Magic's Tracy McGrady display threes on each hand after shooting a three pointer to the score at 92 points to send the game into overtime during the game against Charlotte Hornets at the first round of Eastern Conference playoffs at the TD Waterhouse Centre in Orlando, FL, 27 April 2002. The Magic lost 100 to 110 as the Hornets pulled ahead and won game three. (Photo credit should read CALVIN KNIGHT/AFP/Getty Images) /
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Tracy McGrady, Orlando Magic
ORLANDO, FL – APRIL 27: Orlando Magic’s Tracy McGrady display threes on each hand after shooting a three pointer to the score at 92 points to send the game into overtime during the game against Charlotte Hornets at the first round of Eastern Conference playoffs at the TD Waterhouse Centre in Orlando, FL, 27 April 2002. The Magic lost 100 to 110 as the Hornets pulled ahead and won game three. (Photo credit should read CALVIN KNIGHT/AFP/Getty Images) /

Tracy McGrady enters the Hall of Fame Friday as one of the best scorers of his time and a lasting impact on the league. Our staff looks back at his career.

In a few hours, Tracy McGrady will officially become a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.

McGrady has continued to capture the imagination of NBA fans and have a deep impact on the league today. At the time McGrady came into the league, there were very few players like him at 6-foot-8, long limbed and insanely athletic. He changed the game in a lot of ways and made it look simple. He was a joy to watch.

But also an extreme force. One that would come down on defenses with impunity, turning the other nine players on the floor into spectators at times. Sometimes to his own detriment.

In four years with the Orlando Magic, McGrady averaged 28.1 points per game. He was a four-time NBA All-Star with the Magic (seven overall) and a four-time All-NBA selection, including two first team selections with the Magic. McGrady’s Hall of Fame bona fides are well established.

He has created his own cult following too. From his cultural impact with the T-Mac II and III shoes to the massive scoring totals he put up with the Orlando Magic and the Houston Rockets, McGrady left a lasting impact on a generation of NBA fans.

The only knock against him was his poor showing in the Playoffs.

Not that McGrady was poor individually in the Playoffs — he averaged 32.0 points per game in three Playoff series with the Magic. His teams just could never get over the hump. Orlando never put a strong team around him to create those true, strong Playoff memories. And the Rockets could never stay healthy.

It was ultimately a career that felt incomplete because it lacked the historical significance in the title picture.

Still, McGrady was a significant figure in Magic history. and clearly a significant figure in NBA history with influence far beyond his short time on the court in his prime.

In honor of McGrady’s Hall of Fame Induction, the Orlando Magic Daily staff got together to discuss McGrady’s legacy with the Magic and beyond.