Former Toronto Raptors star Tracy McGrady has been inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
The former star guard, now turned analyst, is the only player drafted by the Raptors to enter the Hall of Fame, but he primarily played with the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets throughout his career.
McGrady was selected 9th overall by the Raptors in the 1997 NBA Draft and was only 17-years-old at the time when he was chosen by former Toronto General Manager Isiah Thomas, who was given the opportunity to present his former draft choice with the induction into the hall.
Over the course of 15 seasons in the NBA, McGrady averaged 19.6 points per game and also won two league-scoring titles in both the 2003 and 2004 seasons. He was selected to the NBA All-Star team seven times while playing for both the Magic and Rockets.
McGrady thanked a number of fans, coaches and organizations during his speech at the induction ceremony: “Thank you to every organization I played for and every coach I ever played for. Doc Rivers, Butch Carter, I appreciate you guys and to the fans both in the U.S. and around the world, forever loyal and you never stopped believing in me. You gave me way more than I could ever give you.”
Toronto Raptors fans were quite disappointed when McGrady left the team after the 2000 season as a free agent to sign with the Orlando Magic.
McGrady played three seasons between 1997-2000 with Toronto, alongside his cousin, Vince Carter, as both players formed a duo that was often compared to Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, who helped the Chicago Bulls win six championships. The two stars brought a lot of excitement to the Raptors helping the team reach the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
The only other Raptors player to be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame, is former centre, Hakeem Olajuwon, who played one season with Toronto in 2002 after playing the majority of his career with the Houston Rockets.
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