NBA fans showed their support for Tracy McGrady after his stunned reaction to being compared with Jimmy Butler and Carmelo Anthony. McGrady, a Hall of Famer, is one of the best scorers the game has ever seen and is considered one of the most skilled players ever.
In a post by NBA Central on Twitter, they asked fans to choose who to start, bench and cut between McGrady, Butler and Anthony. "T-Mac" reacted to the post by retweeting it and putting the googly eyes emoji on it.
Fans rallied around Tracy McGrady, who the majority chose to start over Jimmy Butler and Carmelo Anthony.
Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.
McGrady was at the height of his powers in the early 2000s as part of the Orlando Magic. He was the NBA's scoring champion in 2003 and 2004, averaging 32.1 and 28.0 points per game, respectively.
One fan said:
"We starting you no questions asked."
Another tweeted:
"Jimmy or Melo getting cut. T-Mac staring all 82."
Here are other reactions favoring McGrady over Butler and Anthony:
However, not all agreed to Tracy McGrady will start over Jimmy Butler or Carmelo Anthony. Some even thought that Butler or Anthony deserved to start, while others had McGrady getting exed. One said:
"Start Jimmy, bench Melo, cut TMac"
Another fan had a perfect explanation:
"You get cut. Jimmy is the better all-around player and has more playoff success, and due to Melo getting past the first round in the playoffs and also being a scoring champion, 3-time Olympic gold medalist and making 3 more all-star teams, you're out. But it’s close."
Here are other reactions showing support for Butler or Anthony:
Looking back at Tracy McGrady’s career
Tracy McGrady was selected ninth overall in the 1997 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors out of Mount Zion Christian Academy. McGrady struggled for playing time with the Raptors and opted to become a free agent in 2000.
"T-Mac" signed with the Orlando Magic and instantly become one of the top young players in the league. He won the 2001 Most Improved Player of the Year award and was also named to his first All-Star Game. He was an All-Star for seven straight years, from 2001 to 2007.
Apart from two scoring titles, McGrady led the Magic to three times but failed to move them past the first round. He was traded to the Houston Rockets before the start of the 2004-05 season. He had three great seasons in Houston before injuries piled up and essentially slowed his career.
McGrady went on to play for the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks and San Antonio Spurs before retiring in the summer of 2013. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
Rockets Fan? Check out the latest Houston Rockets depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place.