When the NBA's official Top 75 list was announced for their 75th anniversary fans, many Houston Rockets fans were shocked that Tracy McGrady did not make the list. One of the greatest scorers of the 2000s, McGrady's exclusion wasn't was egregious as others like Dwight Howard, but it was still significant nonetheless.
During the 2022 All-Star Weekend, Rockets fans felt some vindication after Allen Iverson's rant about Tracy McGrady. The Sixers star (who was selected to the Top 75 list himself) was adamant that T-Mac should've been selected there over other stars, invoking another Top 75 guy in the process (via Sports Illustrated)
"It's a slap in the face with a @SHAQ hand."
–– @alleniverson on Tracy McGrady being left off the #NBA75 listpic.twitter.com/PUCVKp54mp
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 19, 2022
The NBA Top 75 list was extremely controversial upon it's release. The selection of Damian Lillard and Anthony Davis amongst others did not sit well with fans. For them, players like McGrady, who was part of some dangerous Rockets teams, deserve a spot amongst the Top 75 players.
McGrady's case for the Top 75 isn't airtight, but it's substantial enough to warrant some merit. He was one of the most prolific scorers of his era, regarded by many of his peers as one of the hardest players to guard. He was the prototypical wing scorer of today's NBA, with an extremely high release that rendered his pull-up near-unblockable. And of course, his 13 points in 33 seconds for the Rockets is forever part of the NBA's storied history.
At the very least, Rockets fans have a dog in that Top 75 list. James Harden, who had some memorable seasons in Houston made the cut. Hakeem Olajuwon also retained his spot from the previous Top 50 list. Still, fans are hoping that either McGrady or Yao Ming get the recognition they deserve.
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