Basketball is a sport built around magical moments as much as it is built around winning a ring. Tracy McGrady was an all-time great player in the NBA, but he never was able to capture a championship. Yet, he’s still forever idolized because of moments. One moment in particular still gets spoken about to this day.
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On December 9th of 2004, the San Antonio Spurs, led by Tim Duncan, were battling T-Mac and his Houston Rockets. The two teams always played each other hard due to being in-state rivals. It looked as if the Spurs had the game locked up as they were leading 76-68 with only 35 seconds left in the game.
But that’s when true magic took place. McGrady became a man possessed. He hit a three, then another three that turned into a 4-point play. Next thing you know, San Antonio was only leading by 2 when the Hall of Famer hit a 4th three that gave the Rockets an 81-80 victory. In the end, he scored 13 points in 33 seconds.
T-Mac recalled this tremendous career highlight during a recent interview on the Young Man and the Three podcast. “I was struggling shooting the ball that game for three quarters,” he stated. “4th quarter come, 35 seconds left, bro. I don’t know what came over. I literally don’t know what came over.”
Funnily enough, as good as McGrady was in those final 30 seconds, he still thinks he could have had more points. “It should have been more points in there because Bruce Bowen was fouling me every time I put the ball on the floor.”
While getting into the Zone is such a fleeting, inexplicable feeling, every player knows exactly when they are in it. For Tracy, it was this moment, and h knew, the exact second he felt himself lock in.
“First shot, get the ball at the top of the key, raise up, shoot a three in his face. Mind you, while this is all taking place, there’s thousands of people leaving,” McGrady stated. “Once I hit that second shot, which was a 4-point play on Tim Duncan, I knew I wasn’t missing.” He continued, “When I hit that 4-point play, all my superpowers came back. I ain’t missing.”
It would be impossible to say anything new about this tremendous performance on that rare December evening that hasn’t already been said. T-Mac’s clutchness in those 30 seconds cemented him as a basketball legend. Fans tend to forget his lack of a ring because in a league with heroes, it’s not all about ring culture.
More importantly, it’s proof that no game is ever over until it’s over. The 2025 Indiana Pacers have been a shining example of that, pulling off T-Mac levels of magic for their entire postseason run, one that got them to the NBA Finals.
McGrady’s NBA career was a mix of dazzling talent and untapped potential. He was a two-time scoring champion who could light up the court with effortless offense and highlight-reel plays. Injuries kept him from going deeper in the playoffs, but his individual brilliance was never in question.
