At some point last season, Darfur was suddenly a hot topic around NBA circles. That's because Cavs forward Ira Newble got involved in the anti-genocide activism, and LeBron James wouldn't follow suit. This led to all sorts of rampant speculation: Was Nike whispering in his ear? Was James just not mature enough? Or is this not the kind of thing superstars do these days?
Well, they do if they're Tracy McGrady. Today's Houston Chronicle has a lengthy feature on T-Mac's trip to live among refugees in Chad. This wasn't a publicity appearance; McGrady went on his own, and brought a film crew to document both the situation and his crash course in its harsh realities. The plan is to produce a documentary that can attract fans of the NBA.
One especially trenchant quote from the article:
But McGrady can no longer think of "AK-47" as an innocent nickname for a Utah Jazz forward named Andrei Kirilenko; it is now a reminder of those moments of doubt.Hats off to T-Mac for setting the bar high for fellow stars like LeBron. He may never get out of the first round, but the Rockets star is certainly finding a way to age gracefully. And maybe, just maybe, a way to make an impact that will be felt well after his retirement.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-30-2007 @ 3:47PM
John O said...
It is about time some NBA players are headlined for something besides carrying a gun or smoking some weed. Hats off to T-Mac for being aware of issues in the world at large! Most of the 'super stars" are interested in the easy money of selling sneakers and being a part-time rapper on the side.
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9-30-2007 @ 5:52PM
jon said...
He took a film crew with him..how special
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9-30-2007 @ 7:50PM
shoals said...
there, i added a sentence just for jon. mcgrady's making a documentary about the camps and his experience there. since like many nba fans, he didn't get what was going on before this trip. sorry if you think that's self-serving.
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9-30-2007 @ 10:35PM
Larry Kelly said...
Aside from his extraordinary skills, I've always thought T-Mac was a good guy. Things like this make me an even bigger fan. And I'm guessing the film crew was a way to show others how bad it really is over there. Great job T-Mac...
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9-30-2007 @ 11:44PM
JCN said...
Credit goes to Mutombo for pointing the way.
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10-01-2007 @ 12:38AM
George B Vieto said...
Nice of Tracy McGrady to get votes for good guy of the year for helping his African brothers in their time of need.
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10-01-2007 @ 2:50PM
el maestro said...
His basketball skills notwithstanding, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of T-Mac is how he reached out to the youngster shot by the Beltway snipers outside of his school. Film crews or not, the world can always use more people helping people.
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10-29-2007 @ 3:46PM
heyhick said...
Tracy McGrady, Steve Nash, Donovan McNabb, Ira Newble and many more on DARFUR NOW. A film about people like Tracy, Steve and Donovan stepping up and taking action to help end the suffering and bloodshed in Darfur. Opens in L.A. / NYC Nov 2. Rest of the country, Nov 9. www.participate.net/darfurnow
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10-29-2007 @ 3:51PM
heyhick said...
Tracy McGrady, Ira Newble, Steve Nash, Donavan McNabb and many others are taking action and raising awareness about Darfur Now. See what they are saying at www.participate.net/darfurnow. See what activists like them are doing to end the conflict and rehabilitate a people. Darfur Now opens in L.A. and NYC on Nov 2. and the rest of the country Nov. 9.
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11-27-2007 @ 1:48PM
Keith said...
McGrady went to Africa to gain awareness of the horrific situation involving Darfur. The documentary enables him to share it with other North Americans. How could anyone see this as a bad thing?
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