Tracy McGrady retires from NBA
Tracy McGrady made seven All-NBA teams. (Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
Seven-time All-Star and two-time scoring champion Tracy McGrady announce his retirement from the NBA on Monday.
"It's been 16 years playing the game I love," McGrady said on ESPN's First Take. "I've had a great run, but it's time for it to come to an end."
McGrady, 34, played for Toronto, Orlando, Houston, New York, Detroit, Atlanta and San Antonio during a career that started in 1997. He didn't play a regular-season game in 2012-13 but appeared in six playoff games with the Spurs after signing in mid-April following a stint in China. He told First Take that the "door's still open" to play overseas again.
The ninth pick in the 1997 draft, McGrady made seven All-NBA teams and won the 2001 Most Improved Player award. He had been 10th among active players in points, with 18,381.
McGrady came to the NBA straight from high school. He won back-to-back scoring titles in 2002-03 (when he also led the NBA in Player Efficiency Rating) and '03-04 with the Magic. He finishes his career with averages of 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists.
McGrady starred for the Magic and Rockets but famously never won a playoff series until joining the Spurs this year. The explosive scorer might be best remembered for his 13-points-in-35-seconds outburst in Houston's stunning comeback victory over San Antonio in December 2004.