Описание
Клуб фанов лучшего баскетболиста мира - Tracy Lamare McGrady!!!
Tracy McGrady, known to the world as “T-Mac,” was born on May 24, 1979 in Bartow, FL., to Melanise Williford. He grew up in Auburndale, FL., and is the product of an area called “The Hill” in Auburndale. A quaint town of about 9,000, it is surrounded by lakes and rests between Orlando and Tampa. Tracy’s family has been a major influence in his life. Raised by his mother, Melanise and grandmother, Roberta, Tracy grew to know both women as “Mom.
High School
At Auburndale High, he quickly became a two-sport star. He loved baseball and had aspirations of playing in the Major Leagues. Some Auburndale coaches were certain that McGrady would be playing in a Major League ballpark instead of on an NBA court.
Tracy’s hoops tale began in his junior year at Auburndale High. He averaged 23.1 pts and 12.2 rebounds a game with the Bloodhounds during the season. But despite the great numbers, Tracy was not receiving the type of attention that someone with his talents normally got. The only schools that showed interest in him were Florida and Miami.
After his junior year at Auburndale High School in Florida, he was invited to play in the ABCD Camp. Tracy was still looking for a way to put himself on the map and let the basketball world know who he was. During the senior all-star game, he dribbled down the left wing on a fast break and found only James Felton, a 6’9” blue-chipper from NJ committed to St Johns, between him and the basket. Tracy went up, cupped the ball in his right hand, and threw down a windmill dunk over James. He sent the whole gym into frenzy. “After I made that dunk, I had chills run through my body. It’s like the moment I knew I had finally arrived,” Tracy said. The recruiting newsletter “Hoop Scoop” praised Tracy as “the sleeper of the decade.” While he was not included in the list of the top 500 prospects before the summer, Tracy was ranked #2 behind Lamar Odom, in the next edition of the list. He was even featured in a 3-page article in the February 10, 1997 issue of Sports Illustrated.
Joe Hopkins, the basketball coach at Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, North Carolina, received a call about Tracy from Alvin Jones Jr., a basketball coach at Kathleen High, a neighboring High School to Auburndale High. While in the area, Hopkins stopped by to meet with Tracy and his “moms.” Hopkins offered Tracy a scholarship to Mount Zion, and the rest is history.
His senior season he transferred to play one year at Mount Zion Christian Academy in North Carolina, which turned out to be a very successful experience. Tracy has said that Joe Hopkins has been a big part of his life. Joe taught him to respect others, himself, and the game. “He’s my backbone,” Tracy says. “If it weren’t for Coach Hopkins, none of this would be possible.”
He led the Mighty Warriors of Mount Zion to a 20-1 record, earning the spot as the #2 team in the nation in USA TODAY’s Super 25. As a senior, he averaged 27.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 2.8 steals per game while shooting .564 from the field, .389 from three-point range and .791 from the free throw line. He was named the USA Today “Player of the Year,” “Player of the Year” in the state of North Carolina by The Associated Press, and was named to the McDonald’s All-American Team. By this time, Tracy had begun receiving the attention from all the top schools that he never heard from early in his high school career. As Tracy was getting set to commit to Kentucky, he was also receiving an abundance of interest from NBA teams and agents. Tracy wrestled with the decision, but ultimately decided to take his talents to the NBA rather than attend college.
The NBA
The 6-foot-8, 200-pound prep-star, who played all five positions at Durham’s Mount Zion Christian Academy, announced his decision to make himself available for the June 25 1997 NBA draft. “I feel this is the best decision for me and my family,” said Tracy, “I considered college, but my dream is t
