[T-Mac] So, now that it's over... Appreciation?

I know I've only been alive since 1989, and thus don't remember the championship days of the mid-nineties, but this moment was my favorite moment as an NBA fan.

Every time I watch it, I still get chills of how good McGrady was.

 

That was a great moment and this is not intended to take away from that special 35 seconds of T-Mac's life, but there is a reason it's referred to as the T-MAC Miracle! :grin:

 

Wow,
You only knew Michael Jackson around the Dangerous Album.

 

Never seen so many dunks by T-Mac in such a short span. I don't think he's has dunked the ball that many times from the end of that season on. I loved that team though. We had a lot of great pieces, and a great chemistry at the time. LETS GO ROX

 

What i liked about T-mac is when he dunked on somebody, he mean mugged them like they killed his child and raped his wife.

 

Are you holding that against him for some weird reason?

Not like he can't go back and listen to pre-Dangerous Michael. I'll venture a guess that I'm younger than you, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the Jackson 5 Michael.

 

I'm glad he is gone.

A player who will historically be remembered for being a loser. I'm glad we don't have to deal with him, his moods, his petty rubbish and his demands any more.

 

Glad to see him gone at this point. Honestly, I feel nothing at all. I read that Landry was gone and I was outraged. T-Mac...meh. Good riddance. Swapping him for a guy who has less talent, but at least he just shuts up and scores the basketball.

 

Trading away McGrady was implicitly suggested by Magic Johnson a couple of years or so ago in order for the other Rockets to thrive and, hopefully, get to the championship lever. Now, years late, finally, Rockets fandom can finally breathe a sigh of relief that this prima donna is gone and that winning first round playoffs series would become routine going forward.

A much better real contending Rockets team is now within reach, if not already there, with McGrady gone, and Yao and Martin on the same team.

Many will not agree with me on this but an upgrade in the PG position is the only major move the Rockets need and watch out. Brooks is a good shooter but nothing else. His offense suffers greatly when he is roughed up by opponents and the whole league seems to have scouted him well already.

The Rockets need someone who can organize the offense, a pass first PG and a good defender in that position. I am all for Lowry starting over Brooks now that the Rockets have a big time scorer in Martin, and Brooks coming off the bench ala Vinnie Johnson. I would prefer an elite true PG though, if DM can pull that off.

 

How long before Tmac has to "shut it down" in new york? 5, 6 hours tops.

 

Not even the slightest pang of regret seeing him leave...

 

As a third option, Brooks is going to work out very well.

 

Thanks Mac, we appreciate the draft picks and the new blood.

 

I always knew it would end badly with McGrady. I hoped the road would lead us to several titles before he pouted his way out, but that was not to be.

There are many reasons why we didn't make it to the promised land.

Foremost is injuries. In particular to Yao and McGrady, but it also hit Sura, Juwan, Deke and other at bad times. Some of those injuries couldn't be avoided, but I'm not so sure with TMac. Could he have trained harder? Probably. Would things have been different if he had trained under Grover for the past 5 years? I think so. Maybe not a championship, but a deeper run one of those years.

I personally love Jeff Van Gundy, but the direction under him and CD was never going to take us too far. They surrounded Yao and McGrady with too many veterans and ex-Knicks. If the youth movement begun under Morey had started 3 years earlier, I think the Rockets and McGrady might have a ring.

The most annoying part was McGrady's intensity. It could be there sometimes, but he lazed his way through too many games. Yes, we had the 13 in 35, but to some degree: whatever. Nice regular season job, but do that in the playoffs and it's legendary. You can't blame the playoff losses all on that because the guy scored and did a lot, but I always felt we should have been seeded higher. Fair or not, the guy has never made it out of the first round, and I don't think it's a coincidence.

The past year has soured me completely on the guy. If he had won big here, I might have overlooked some of that for nostalgia's sake. But the fact is the McGrady era was a failure and never produced a single playoff series win. The announcement of microfracture surgery, the pouting to play, the pouting for more minutes and the pouting over the disrespect by the Rockets almost eliminates any positive feeling I might have had for the guy.

I almost always give a hearty cheer when watching former Rockets play, but if I went to a game and saw McGrady, he would be one of three I would boo (others being Pippen and Maxwell).

So long, TMac. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. Hopefully you can get some good blogging in during the second round when you're sitting on your lazy ass at home again...

 

Maxwell and the organization made up already. stop living in the past dude.

Max is even in the 41 years of tradition video and still is friends with kenny, sam, and mario

 

Out of those 3, Maxwell would most likely jump in the stands and punch you.
then you would have a tattoo of the championship ring on your forehead!
:grin:

 

I respect the hell out of Maxwell for the first ring, but he pouted and walked out in the middle of the playoffs in 1995. That's the ultimate disrespect. I booed him every time I saw him live after that, and it was deserved.

That being said, Maxwell is the only one of himself, Pippen, and McGrady to do anything in Rocket Red. I do remember that, but I can't unremember the walkout in the middle of that Jazz series.

I'd take the shot too, then sue his punk ass. Of course, he wouldn't be able to pay me off....

 

Good riddance!

 

Well, he already regretted 95 and had said so many times, i posted that maybe 1000 times, but maxwell haters never care.

Pippen never regretted anything . Plus Maxwell never dissed his pals and teammates. He was crazy, but that's why he's mad max, not pete chillcutt

I'll never boo maxwell.

Maxwell only hits non Rockets fans and Gary Payton.