During the lead up to the Hall of Fame induction of former Orlando Magic star Tracy McGrady, experts and fans alike debated on whether McGrady’s credentials really warrants an entry to Springfield. For a while, the deliberation mimicked that of the usually contentious discussions that happen every year in baseball.
But for McGrady, there isn’t a shadow or a single speck of doubt that he fully deserves a place among the greats at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
During his Hall of Fame speech, the 15-year NBA veteran revealed that it took some time for him to accept the idea of him being a Hall of Famer mostly because he’s aware that he doesn’t have enough hardware in his trophy shelf.
Article Continues Below“There was a reason she wanted me to look myself in that mirror and say I deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. And there was also a reason why I didn't do it. In those split moments that she asked me to say out loud that I deserved to be in the Hall of Fame, I had a zillion thoughts in my mind why I didn't deserve to be there. I started thinking about all these NBA greats who accomplished so many good things, and then I (couldn't) compare myself to them. It's way too easy to focus on what you don't have and what you didn't accomplish.”
McGrady didn’t win an NBA championship and was notoriously famous for having never gotten out of the first round of the playoffs during his prime years. Moreover, he has no MVP plums nor was he named on any NBA All-defense teams.
All that, however, was outweighed by McGrady’s impeccable offensive prowess. McGrady has won two scoring titles and was a seven-time All-Star. McGrady’s detractors will continue to plead their case, but that’s not going to change the fact that McGrady is now a Hall of Famer.