“When Pat Riley lost Tracy McGrady because Tim Duncan was on the verge of joining the Orlando Magic” : The Miami exec was so sure he had T-Mac in his bag, but one move scuppered his grand plan

Back in 2000, Tracy McGrady was all that and then some – he was one of the most sought after players in the league

Drafted in 1997, Tracy McGrady was a good player for the Toronto Raptors. He averaged about 15 points a game and played well with Vince Carter alongside him. But that is where the train stopped. The aspirations did not match the setting, so T-Mac decided he wanted to move to better pastures.

In the summer of 2000, Pat Riley wanted to snap up the young guard. He was good, but Pat scouted him to become something majestic. He wanted to snap him up, and have him play alongside Alonzo Mourning. They even got a private jet to bring him out to meet the folks. Pat was ready to go to any lengths to bring him to the Heat since he knew what he was about to become.

Zo took the young guy for a tour across the Miami beach in his speedboat. They zipped across the length of the beach, taking in the gorgeous views and the ride culminated in the best way possible. They stopped at Pat Riley’s house, who was waiting at the dock with a max contract in hand. McGrady was stunned and was considering the offer quite seriously.

Also Read: “Wilt Chamberlain was head and shoulders above the rest of the league”: The Big Dipper’s rookie year PPG was higher than Michael Jordan’s highest-scoring season

Tracy McGrady was almost swayed by the way Pat Riley wooed him, but his thirst for titles swayed him the other way

Despite all the efforts put in, T-Mac had other plans. Rumors had it that Tim Duncan was ready to move to Orlando, and the prospect of playing with Timmy, McGrady did not want to turn down. And the Magic also decided to offer him more money after they found out what the Heat were doing. With all these chips falling into place. Orlando seemed like a no-brainer, and Tracy moved there.

As luck would have it, The Big Fundamental had a change of heart and decided to stay in San Antonio, after McGrady moved. This was a big bummer in the grand scheme of things for both team and the player, but this may have been the push Tracy needed to become the player he did.

He went on to win the most improved player award, scoring an explosive 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. While those were in no shape or form MVP numbers, they were a huge improvement across the board. He maintained that standard from then on for 7 years straight, becoming a 7-time All-Star and getting himself inducted to the Hall of Fame. Too bad he could not win a ring, but that is the effort of a team as a whole.

Also Read: “My mama told me I need to give back to the society, so I did it”: When Shaquille O’Neal talked about why he helped a 13-year-old with 10 pairs of shoes