I would like to think I am not a mean-spirited person at heart, but the threads that have popped up in defense of him have been so over the top that I feel the opposite angle deserves its own sounding board. This stinks, people. This absolutely reeks of duplicity, of diva-ism, of the scheming of a petty mind who did not have the guts to man up to his situation. The story is not completely out yet, but everything that has been reported so far makes me believe that a few things are irrefutable: 1. Tracy McGrady has secretly wanted season-ending surgery for a while now. 2. Every medical opinion he has sought has refuted his opinion on the matter--until now. 3. McGrady has maintained in the media that HE'S not the one who wants surgery, it's the doctors telling him to shut it down. In actuality, it's been just the opposite. 4. Regardless of the deals they had on the table, the Rockets were having active talks of dealing T-Mac. You put the pieces together. He has surgery in the offseason. He does not rehab. We acquire Ron Artest. Our preseason expectations go through the roof. He's never felt this much pressure before. Nevertheless, he comes back to camp out of shape, where a guy like Von Wafer makes him look bad and his teammates actually play better and win more while he's sidelined. He wants a crutch. He talks to the Rockets medical staff. They run every test in the book on his knee. Nothing is wrong. HE HAS NO CRUTCH. He goes for a second opinion to see James Andrews, the premier sports medicine orthopedic surgeon in the world. Andrews tells him nothing is wrong. HONESTLY PEOPLE WHO GOES TO SEEK MORE OPINIONS ONCE JAMES ANDREWS TELLS YOU YOU'RE OK? Andrews is the man that tells virtually everyone, even healthy minor league pitchers, that Tommy John surgery is a good option! And even he couldn't find anything wrong. I'll stop my microcosmal tirade here. The point of the matter is that, in previous years we did not have the pieces to win a championship. T-Mac played valiantly in these years, like Luther Head in the regular season. He finally got his opportunity. It was time for him to put his money where his mouth was, fulfill the potential that had people saying he was better than Kobe in his prime. He choked. Bad. More importantly, he shot our Rockets team in the foot by playing this BS cat-and-mouse game with us. Now he wants an escape clause from the expectation, and we are going to suffer at his expense. How ironic it will be at least to see us make the second round with him out. We have the pieces this year to go to the WCF without him. We should have had the pieces to win it all with him. If you want a comparison, look at Yao's season-ending injury last year. I bet you T-Mac has. He saw Yao "let his team down" by having that foot fracture which every doctor in the world told him would require surgery if ever he wanted to save himself from a career-ending injury, and he thought he could get the same pass for this year. Well guess what, T-Mac. The real fans know. We understand guys like Chuck Hayes who give it their all but come up short in talent and stature, but we have no patience for primadonnas like you. Thanks for holding our franchise back, and good riddance. Your close-but-no-cigar career will culminate in a close-but-no-cigar HOF bid.
I'm totally pee off too. He chose the right time to screw the team over right at a trade deadline. No sympathy for him what so ever.
I don't hate or like the guy but I think before people start throwing him a parade they should get all the facts and not let their emotions get the best of them. McGrady has pissed off way to many people at this point and its to the point of him being a cancer. He needs to retire or allow himself to be traded but these baby games have got to stop.
Grow up. We don't really know the extent of the injury if it is true and it could very well be career ending. This thread it tactless and classless. I would expect this type of stuff from Jazz fans.
Bottom line: the Rockets are better off without McGrady. If this is just an excuse to sit his ass out for the rest of the season and playoffs, fine with me.
Posts like these have been going on ever since the start of this season, even the previous seasons. I have a strong feeling that basketball gods do exist, but I don't have a reason why we deserve a championship. Hell, the Warriors fans deserved a first round exit when you see how happy they were with the fact that they even made the 8th seed playoffs. The ratio of negative to positive is almost 1:5
Tracy has been so flaky this season. I think we have to at least leave open the possibility that this is just him acting out again until we hear the Rockets side on things. But if its legit, and this is really what is needed, then best of luck to Tracy. I hope he's able to find more fulfillment in whatever he chooses to do after basketball, because I don't see him in this league very much longer.
Oh grow up. He's put his body through so much for this team. I'll certainly agree that he has not handled this situation very well, but this is hardly a reason to hate the guy. I mean the guy is INJURED. He needs (potentially) career-saving surgery on his knee, and you're acting like this is his fault? Give me a break.
the problem is whether or not hes really injured. he went from doctor to doctor until one told him what he wanted to hear.... sounds fishy to me
+1 - there's obviously something wrong with McGrady whether you acknowledge it or not. It's not like he just goes out there intending to suck.
.....considering how Les said he would not trade Tracy, doesnt seem like Mcgrady did much to hurt the possibility of him being traded. Im not gonna sit here and say I'm happy with the situation but wishing the worst for him..definitely low and mean-spirited.
First, I am not a Tracy defender. He has all the talent but I think he lacks "the heart of a champion." That said, we don't really know what the medical reports have said because we were not there. We only know what has been released; not all the details. Do you really think he "wants" major surgery? Seems to me no matter what he does, some people will believe what they want to believe because they hate TMac. Doctors are not infallible and even "simple" surgeries sometimes do not turn out right (which I think is probably the case here).
