The 1997 Draft was filled with talented players headlined by Tim Duncan. However, he was not the only standout from the class because Chauncey Billups was picked third overall, and Tracy McGrady was selected with the ninth overall pick.
It was a superb selection by the Toronto Raptors because they knew McGrady had the potential to shine with them. As the executive vice president of the Raptors, Isiah Thomas had a significant impact on the team’s draft selections.
“He reminded me a lot of George Gervin at that time — his ease, in terms of being able to always get it done without looking like he was working too hard,” Thomas said about McGrady when looking back at the 1998 Draft. “People put the label on McGrady that he’s not a hard worker, or that he’s lazy, but that wasn’t the case at all.”
Isiah had the right vision with T-Mac
While T-Mac did not reach his full potential with Toronto, he was still superb in his role for the team. He started as a low-minute player but gradually improved and carved out a significant role on the team. McGrady built a promising partnership with Vince Carter, who was later revealed to be his cousin . While T-Mac lived up to the hype, the Raptors couldn't fully tap into his potential.
The young athlete fulfilled his potential when he moved to the Orlando Magic, where he would become the best scorer in the league. He had a campaign where he scored 32.1 points per game as he cemented himself in the upper echelon of shooting guards alongside Kobe Bryant.
Related: Mullin thinks Isiah should've been on the Dream Team: "He was by far and then historically a Top 3 point guard of all time"
T-Mac was a hard worker
Throughout his NBA career, an unfair narrative emerged about T-Mac's supposed lack of effort. However, the uber-athletic wing worked diligently behind the scenes, something Thomas witnessed firsthand before leaving the organization due to a dispute with ownership.
McGrady's natural talent and physical gifts made him stand out, but his success was driven by the hard work he put in when the lights were out. Despite an effortless style, his refined moves came from constant practice. Later on in his career, Isiah pushed back against the "lazy" label , highlighting T-Mac's work ethic as key to his consistent greatness.
Related: Isiah Thomas suggested Joe Dumars was Michael Jordan's snitch: "Jordan got to get inside our inner workings"
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