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Tracy McGrady once shared his experience of how emotionally and physically draining it can be to endure a significant injury, knowing he would never return to his peak as a player.
In a 2020 interview on the All The Smoke podcast, McGrady said that his knee injury had plunged him into a state of depression.
“I knew I wasn't gonna be that dude again, and that was the most devastating thing,” he said.
“I mean, I can't tell you how depressed I was to know that I'm on this level, and then I'm down here now, and I never, never reached that level again. Brother, I was hurt,” he added.
He also recounted how he received the news of his injury and the continued sense of responsibility he felt to be the leader of the Rockets. That was especially, as they had the opportunity to win with players like Ron Artest, Shane Battier and Rafer Alston.
“Every game, I had to get a shot at my knee … I couldn't play, but I got a shot at my knee after the game, drained all that fluid, needle like this, you know what I mean, draining all that fluid out. I'm thinking, ‘All right, you know, just got to get my knee cleaned out, and then we'll be good, man,’” he said.
“I'm on one leg; I'm still trying to play. I'm up scared to even jump off of my left leg; everything was right leg. So we're in Milwaukee, coming down on a break; somebody's chasing me. So I want to go up on the other side of the rim and try to dunk it; I got hung, embarrassed myself. At that point, I'm like, ‘I'm not playing another game until I find out what's going on with my knee,’” he continued.
Once he was sidelined, he received the disheartening news that he had completely lost his knee cartilage.
“I went to see a few doctors, and they told me, ‘Bro, I got some bad news; you ain't got no more cartilage in your knee.”
Apart from his knee injury, McGrady endured various other injuries throughout his career, including back problems, plantar fasciitis and ankle injuries.
Tracy McGrady’s career accolades
Despite his injury history, McGrady carved a 15-year career in the NBA and stood out with his diverse set of skills and ability to score from any spot on the court.
He solidified his status as one of the league's premier scorers on joining the Orlando Magic in 2000. In 2001, McGrady received the Most Improved Player award and earned a spot in his first of seven consecutive All-Star Games.
His offensive prowess allowed him to achieve remarkable feats, like setting a franchise record by scoring 62 points for the Magic.
Later, as a member of the Houston Rockets in Dec. 2004, he scored 13 points in the final 35 seconds to secure a comeback win against the San Antonio Spurs. This extraordinary performance has since earned him legendary status among basketball fans worldwide.
T-Mac led the league in scoring for two consecutive seasons and displayed his versatility as a true triple threat, amassing over 5,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists.
He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2017.
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