Rockets carry on without often-maligned star Tracy McGrady

[Baller 24]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/w ... index.html

"I haven't been the guy who's been fortunate enough to play with Shaq, to play with Tim Duncan. I always seem to have average teams,'' he said. "You take me back in my Orlando days with Shaq? Come on, there are no questions. You take a healthy me and switch me out with Paul Pierce [on the current Celtics]? There's no question. There's definitely no question.''

I reminded McGrady of a previous conversation we had years ago, when Garnett was being criticized for his failure to win in the playoffs with Minnesota. "I remember that,'' McGrady said. Then he shifted our talk to Garnett's championship with the Celtics last season.

"I don't know if you remember this,'' McGrady said. "But when they won the championship, he had the hat like this [turned sideways] and he looked into the camera and he was like, What are you going to say now? That's what he said. That was about all that criticism that he was taking, and now he was letting everybody know: What are you going to say now? Because you can't say it now -- I'm the best, I'm on the best team in the league.''

Seriously (At the large and bold line)? I've supported him and defended him, but how the hell are you going to say that? The Rockets since '05 have been a championship contender that have been struck by injuries, they've had some spectacular regular seasons and you call your team "average" ? I can understand how he's unlucky, but what he said there is disrespectful to this franchise, his teammates, and he should understand that himself.

[Iggyemu]

Yea I dunno about "average" teams. He is a little delusional...anesthesia still in his body probably.

But I agree with the fact that he has never been on a great team. I think thats what he is trying to say but as usual his mouth tells another story. The Rockets have never been SA or LA or Boston good during this McGrady/Yao era. Never. I think thats his point. So I wouldn't worry about it too much Baller...

Wade will save us.

[Baller 24]

Yea I dunno about "average" teams. He is a little delusional...anesthetic still in his body probably.

But I agree with the fact that he has never been on a great team. I think thats what he is trying to say but as usual his mouth tells another story. The Rockets have never been SA or LA or Boston good during this McGrady/Yao era. Never. I think thats his point. So I wouldn't worry about it too much Baller...

Wade will save us.

Oh well. It's been a good nine years, time to move one. Wade huh? I'm not sure if we're enough to pursue him, it would be awesome though. I'd personally love Durant, his form, his game, his favorite player is all very entertaining, and he brings a lot to the table.

[Iggyemu]

Baller I think the only good thing to come out this McGrady thing is that from everything I have read...he seems more motivated to prove people wrong than any time except for maybe his early days in Toronto. You read that article and others like it all he keeps talking about is how he can still be great...how he could do what guys like Pierce, Manu do for their great teams.

I dunno if he'll ever play for the Rockets again. Personally I don't think so. But I do believe he'll rehab extremely hard from this injury and maybe actually go on to be a legit #2 guy on a great team. I stopped being a T-Mac fan a long time ago. But I was a T-Mac fan. And in that..I really would like to see him bounce back and finally have a change of luck in his career.

[JoeHova]

Classless comments from McGrady. I wonder what Yao thinks of what he said.

[Amel]

someone give him the gun already....

[Iggyemu]

Classless comments from McGrady. I wonder what Yao thinks of what he said.

I don't think we'd ever find out. Yao may agree..he may not. But Yao isn't the type of launch his teammates under the bus like McGrady.

McGrady continues to say stupid things. Frustration...bad luck...whatever it may be. He needs to really think before he speaks.

The Rockets haven't had anything outside of McGrady and Yao until this season. So he is probably accurate in his assessment...yet you don't say something like that while you are still apart of the team...while Battier and Yao who have been on those 'average' teams with you are still your teammates.

Just another issue in the career of McGrady....it just goes on...

[RaoulDuke79]

I don't really care what he has to say anymore because he has always been the type to put his foot in his mouth, so I don't take him seriously.

I am however happy to know that a once T-Mac fan has fallen in love with our precious team over the last few seasons. Once you go Red you never go...eh whatever rhymes.

Oh Rockets, you're so adorable!

[BaYBaller]

But people don't criticize T-Mac on not winning a chip, they criticize him on never having led a team out of the first round, and there's no way you can say he never had the talent to do that.

[HTown_TMac]

Can this T-Mac talk come to an end? Lets worry about the task at hand.

[TMU]

Not even Tracy knows how his body will respond after coming back from that surgery. But with that said, actions speak louder than words. No one will care how much support he's had in his career or the big numbers he put up as a Magic and in the playoffs. 10 years after his retirement, he'll will be remembered as the guy never made pass the first round.

[langer]

I like the way that he is talking because it means he will be gone soon. Keep it up, Tmac. More trash come from his mouth would fire Yao and this team up, and they will try damn harder to against other teams.

I think Tmac knew his teammate need to be fired up, so he decided to motivate Rox like this way.
What a sacrifice！

ROFL

[RoCkEtS1]

Honestly I'm a pretty big T-Mac Fan but honestly for the Rockets sake I wish we could have gotten rid of him before the trade deadline. We probably wouldn't of gotten great value for him but right now we are looking like one of the Elite teams of the NBA and with a little more well fitted skill on the floor for us in terms of offensive strength we could be great. Especially with our marvelous team effort on the defensive end of the floor, some more offense is key.

But towards the comment. I really don't care. As long as we focus on improving our seed in the playoffs and T-Mac doesn't side track us then we are fine.

[Jaykoolzboy]

Tmac is a goner for sure with comments like this.

[jzmagik]

First he goes public about requiring microfracture surgery so that we cant trade him, and now he throws his teammates under the bus.. I''ve had it with this guy. He's most definately played his last game as a rocket already.

[Alex_De_Large]

He is right. The joke is compare Shaq or Duncan with Yao Ming.

[moofs]

That dude is seriously one of the dumbest media people I've ever seen. Pacman Jones handles them better. If he stuck his foot in his mouth, he's dumb. If he threw his teammates under the bus, he's dumb and an supreme [(edit) meaniehead].

Raoul, if you don't have any yellow lensed aviators and a fishing hat, you really should.

[laka4life]

Not trolling here in all honesty.

But is Tracy honestly insinuating that he is on Kobe's level??

My oh my I truly hope for the sake of your franchise this mess is dissolved this summer. You guys are a class franchise, have great basketball minds in Leslie Alexander, Morey, and Rick Adelman, but a friggin idiot in McGrady.

I won't lie your team actually really frightens me a bit come playoff time. Kobe can handle either Artest or Battier defending him, but the combination of being able to switch both of them onto Kobe is just....ya a lil scary.

Anyways, here's hoping to a humongous Tylenol for all Rockets fans.

McGrady=Bryant

[HTown_TMac]

laka if you read the whole article he is refering to his whole career. When he was comparable to Kobe.