At some point, every player in the NBA will see their career come to an end. As much as guys like LeBron James can battle father time and play into their late 30s, and sometimes even their early 40s, there will always be a point in time when players need to retire.
Tracy McGrady spent 15 years in the NBA before he called it a career. While T-Mac may not have lasted as long in the league as he thought he would, the 6'8" shooting guard still put together a Hall of Fame career. Like many others, though, it's clear that McGrady misses playing in the Association.
Tracy reveals the two things he misses the most about the NBA
McGrady pretty quickly established himself as a star in the league, but injuries sapped him of his burst, and he ended up playing his final game in the league at just 32 years old. Still, T-Mac was a seven-time All-Star who led the league in scoring two straight years.
When these players retire from basketball, it's a tough transition because they have spent pretty much their entire lives playing the game. And even though he's been out of the league for over a decade, McGrady revealed that he still misses two parts of the NBA quite a bit.
"I miss the competition, the battles, going up against a Kobe Bryant, going up against a Paul Pierce, going up against an Allen Iverson, a Vince Carter, I miss that man," Tracy said via Instagram . "The best players in the world, I got an opportunity to keep competing against the best players in the world for 15 years. You miss that competition because you can never find that anywhere else."
"And the camaraderie amongst a group of guys that you just bond with throughout the season. You miss those bus rides, you miss those plane rides, you miss that, man, and you can never get that back. All we have left is those memories, and I always cherish those moments," T-Mac added.
Related: "Frequently it was heated" — Steve Kerr claims Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen's conversations in practice usually had tension
McGrady's love for the game of basketball still exists
There's no doubt that playing in the NBA can be challenging at times. 82-game seasons can really take a toll on players, and the work that goes on behind the scenes can be quite laborious at times.
And yet, it's all worth it when you take the court for games. McGrady loved competing against the best of the best, and at the peak of his powers, he was dominating every other player in the league, which was impressive.
Working with a group of guys to achieve a common goal is something that T-Mac misses, too. The bonds you build with your teammates last a lifetime, and while McGrady was unsuccessful in his quest to win a title, that doesn't change how he feels about the teams he played for.
Thanks to the world of sports media, Tracy has stayed close to the game, but nothing compares to going out on the court and playing. Unfortunately, that's how the life cycle in the world of sports works, but at least he has memories from his playing days that he will cherish forever.
Related: The respect from my peers means more to me than anything else” - Tracy McGrady reveals the thing he is most proud of in his career
Most Popular
Comments / 0