During his prime, T Mac was one of the most unstoppable forces in the history of the game. Now, at 34 years old, injuries have done him dirty, as he just doesn’t have the same explosiveness and drive to the hoop that he once had in his younger years.
That’s why, today, the athlete who once captured the league with his courageous play and high flying acrobatics has announced that he is retiring during his visit to ESPN’s First Take.
Watching Tracy McGrady ride the bench for the entire 2013 Playoffs as a member of the San Antonio Spurs was one of the hardest things to watch for any NBA fan who appreciates the greats. Knowing what he was once capable of and seeing him just despondent on the sidelines is not the way any elite player should go out.
Who could ever forget McGrady’s glory days as a member of the Houston Rockets alongside Yao Ming? Here, we saw some truly remarkable plays and gritty performances that make us cringe when we think about his role in last year’s finals. Who can forget when he single-handedly scored 13 points in 33 seconds to come back and beat the Spurs?