T-Mac inducted into Basketball HOF: 'I deserve to be here'
It took a lot of soul-searching, but once he was on the stage at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday night, Tracy McGrady finally felt like he belonged.
During his enshrinement speech, the seven-time All-Star told a story of when he and his wife were on their way to the HOF finalist press conference earlier in the year, and how she asked him to repeat the words "I deserve to be in the Hall of Fame" out loud over and over in an elevator mirror.
"Now, I still couldn't let those words utter from my mouth. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't because I wasn't excited or honored. However, truth be told, I didn't want to allow myself to get too excited," said McGrady. "You see my wife knew something about me in that elevator that I had yet to admit and say out loud. There's a reason she wanted me to look myself in that mirror and say 'I deserve to be in the Hall of Fame,' and there was also a reason why I couldn't do it. ...
"I started thinking of all of these NBA greats, who had accomplished so many great things, and then I began comparing myself to them. It's way too easy to focus on what you don't have and what you didn't accomplish, but I'm grateful for those people that believed in me, just maybe when I always didn't believe in myself."
Related - Watch: Tracy McGrady's HOF enshrinement retrospective
Absent on his legendary resume is a championship, although McGrady has said a spot in the HOF is far more special than a title. Even without a ring, the current ESPN analyst's credentials more than warranted consideration, as he was named to two All-NBA first teams and three All-NBA Second teams, and earned a pair of scoring titles to boot.
In fact, every retired player who has led the NBA in scoring currently resides in the Hall.
Concluding his speech by coming full circle with the elevator story, McGrady stood confidently at the podium, brushing aside his past hesitations and saying the words he was once reluctant to speak.
"Well, on this day, I can proudly, yes, I deserve to be here. I am truly humbled, I'm grateful, and proud to be in the class of 2017."