T-Mac proud of HOF career: 'I was one of the greats'
Inductions at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame take place Friday night in Springfield, Mass., and this year's class is led by Tracy McGrady.
Because the seven-time NBA All-Star and two-time scoring champion never competed beyond the first round of the playoffs until some garbage minutes with the San Antonio Spurs at the end of his playing days, the honor acts as the crowning moment of his career.
Despite the lack of postseason success, McGrady wasn't short on praise for himself.
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"I'm damn proud of going into the Hall of Fame," McGrady told the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen, eschewing modesty.
"When I see myself play, there was no doubt I was one of the best players playing. There's no doubt about that. Now, if you take what I did and put me on a winning team, now you're talking about one of the best of all times. So yes, I was one of the greats."
McGrady easily ranked as a top-5 player in the league between 2000 and 2007. Injuries began to pile up after that, however, derailing his career. Yet it wasn't just his own health issues that kept McGrady from playoff success; Grant Hill's injuries while he was with the Orlando Magic and Yao Ming's problems with the Houston Rockets contributed as well.
"They were devastating blows to me," McGrady said. "You only have a short span in this league to really win it. Kobe had long, extended time winning. Very few have that. When it's your time when you're considered one of the best, that's the time you have to capitalize on winning as a team."
McGrady will be introduced at the inductions by Hall of Fame point guard Isiah Thomas, who drafted McGrady in 1997 while general manager of the Toronto Raptors. Joining him as new additions to the Hall are Kansas coach Bill Self, former UConn and WNBA star Rebecca Lobo, and ABA/NBA legend George McGinnis, among others. Former Chicago Bulls general manager Jerry Krause, who built the Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen dynasty, will be inducted posthumously.