Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! has a half-harrowing, half-hilarious tale out of Minneapolis, where sources say Tracy McGrady put on his uniform Wednesday to confront coach Rick Adelman about the team's timetable for the fallen star's return. Woj reports that McGrady -- who may or may not have told Yahoo! last week that he'd planned on returning Wednesday against the Wolves, a plan the Rockets quickly squelched -- is angry the team is holding him off the court, and wanted answers from Adelman.What resulted (with McGrady in full uniform after warming up with teammates before the game) was a heated closed-door argument, Woj reports. The writer's sources claim Mac demanded to know why team management wouldn't let him get back on the court sooner than next week's scheduled MRI.
As someone who followed an Adelman-coached team closely for eight years, this is certainly rare -- R.A. feuded with very few players in Sacramento, with only Tony Massenburg standing out in memory. (Adelman and Chris Webber had their moments, but I'd argue no other coach in the league would have survived the troubling end to the 2003-04 season, in which Webber ruined the sparkling Kings by returning from surgery too early, and then blamed Peja Stojakovic for the second round exit. Somehow, Adelman came out of it looking like a white hat.)
But perhaps that's part of the problem -- Adelman is reserved, and has no time for drama. McGrady's situation is fairly dramatic. Adelman's silent insouciance (also seen in the fourth quarter of big games, unfortunately) probably makes McGrady feel underappreciated, or brushed aside.
McGrady's the league's highest-paid player, a former MVP candidate watching his career twinkle out due to chronic back problems and last year's microfracture surgery. This has to be a rough transition for McGrady, especially if what McGrady's people tell Woj is true: that the Rockets are stalling to collect insurance money, some $226,000 for every game the star misses from here on out. If McGrady truly believes that theory, he deserves answers, and Adelman probably owes his player his ear.
I'd be inclined to believe that said claim -- which comes from McGrady's people, mind you -- is not true, and that it's more an issue of Adelman and team management (led by Daryl Morey) knowing that the McGrady era is basically over, and that the New Rockets need to learn to win, lose and play without the epic possession/attention soaker. For all the criticism of what his game has become, McGrady has been surprisingly gracious on the court the last few years, but by his extant standards that's not enough for the newly egalitarian Rockets.
It's too bad, because McGrady's clearly gone from Houston by June 30 (when his contract expires), if not sooner. That would mean that McGrady has left three NBA teams, all of them in less than happy circumstances. I suppose the same could be said of most lightning-rod stars (Shaquille O'Neal certainly included), but that really doesn't make it any less unfortunate. Only McGrady and the Rockets know the truth here -- whether McGrady is being a prat, or whether Houston is doing him wrong -- but no matter what, based on history and preconceived notions, it will reflect poorly on McGrady. It's probably something in between, if in-between even exists in matters of pride. If reports like this persist, though, it's plausible we'll never know, because it's plausible McGrady may have worn that Rockets uniform -- in a visitor's locker room office, mind you -- for the last time.
Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Houston has a limited roster
and undersized (no Yao) so McGrady
at 6,8 can provide some help
coming from the bench.
With Yao out for god knows how long and taking into his age and height, it's only a matter of time before he won't be able to play basketball.
At the Rockets currents state, they NEED McGrady. Aaron Brooks has improved signifigantly and Battier has proven himself to be a good leader in McGrady and Yao's abscences. Adding Ariza gives them more depth, they just need their star back to be a serious threat to the big four teams in the NBA.
We need Mac back. AS a rockets fan, were winning a GAME loosing a GAME, its a sequel that can cost our season, Ariza is growing, but hes not there yet. If Mac is truly back, hes the missing piece to this team right now. Yao is done. theres something weird brewing here, i got a feeling hes gonna come back, and tear it up!!
Ziller, I hassled you when I felt like you wrote very negative articles about the D. Miles situation and the blazers. This has a different tone but has many of the same elements. Similar elements very different slant. Also, how is Darius' career going?
The guys's only played in a handful of games since he left the Magic.... retire already!
Have to see that this rocket scientist now thinks that he is a medical doctor also? Let me break it down for you Tracy. If you get HURT prior to the "able to return date" THEN YOU would probably want to SUE the team for "forcing you to return!" That's why they are not caving in to your bratty behavior ya Moh-Ron
I don't watch the NBA anymore. These guys argue every call made by officials, even when they draw blood. I don't think basketball was meant to be played the way the NBA allows it to be. Is more like a football game with all the ridiculous contact. Shaq became a star by simply backing over people. Announcers say certain calls are not made on star players and made on others?? Don't believe there's anything in the rules that says star players don't get foul calls while others do. That's pathetic and truly absurd. Seems like so many of the players are street thugs and I'm sick of their belly aching about everything from officiating to playing time to whatever! You can have it!
I AGREE WITH CINDI!! RETIRE ALREADY MCGRADY!!! HE IS ALWAYS HURT!!! I CANNOT REMEMBER WHEN HE PLAYED A FULL SEASON!!! HE IS JUST STEALING MONEY!!! TRACEY MCGRADY IS JUST A SUPER SOFT, TISSUE SOFT, ALWAYS INJURED BUSTER!!!! JUST QUIT!!! JUST RETIRE!!! WHAT, YOU GONNA PLAY 2 GAMES AND GET HURT AGAIN!!! THATS WHY HOUSTON OR ANY NBA TEAM, DOES NOT WANT YOU!!! GO TO ITALY OR GREECE!!! YOU SOFT, INJURED, BUSTER!!!
When MacDaddy played here he was good, but, he always complained about his back. He's a great player and Houston should of looked into his physical problems before signing him on. Ya live and learn. When Houston signed Yao everyone thought that they would win, win, win, but, not the case. It's too bad that Tracy couldn't swallow his pride and just give the ball to Yao for the dunk. Doesn't take a Rocket scientist to win games.
See, the way it works is that you get the big bucks to help the team. Sometimes, the best help is to not play and give someone else a chance.
In the crappy NBA, a team can't go from .500 to championship. You gotta really suck, get lucky in the draft, then add a free agent or two to win.
Looks like Tracy's team is trying to follow the Larry Brown Spurs template. When Robinson went down, they dumped games to get Tim Duncan. Robinson comes back, and the rest is history.
I miss the NBA of the 70s & 80s, when basketball was played. Teams needed two studs and a star to compete, and all-stars were on the bench (see the Lakers, Celtics, 76ers, Knicks, Blazers, etc.).
When Walton, Dr. J., Bird, Magic, etc. were gone (or about to be), the NBA pushed Jordan, since they had nothing else. Now all these self-centered ass-clowns who can't play team ball think they're special. And that's why arenas are half-empty.
Bill Walton was never a super star in the NBA... He never played as well as Tracy... That is a fact... Also Bill Walton's son is not a star.
none of us on the board, nor the author of the article know what's truly going on and conjecture is as easy to make as it is to breathe and often with as much substance...
in this case, my curiosity is what T Mac is so upset about...why is it such a big problem to wait for the MRI? is he concerned it will show something he doesn't want to see? my conjecture
McGrady doesn't show any respect
for his teammates and his team
and ala AI he thinks that he will
be an starter from the get go??
playing less then 20 games in the past 2 seasons he is got a long way to go ,
from the bench that is and work
himself into the rotation, in time.
What the hell is a white hat? Is it like telling a white lie?
love to watch you play tracy but YOU ARE TO INJURY PRONE FOR A TEAM TO BE ABLE TO COUNT ON YOU IN THE LONG STRETCH ... HOUSTON ITS TIME TO DUMP HIM .....
DUMP HIS ASS
i cant believe he's the highest payed nba player! i heard that the other day! and i was like wat!?!? i would think kobe bryant was or idk someone better.. lol but yea hes for sure going to leave in june!
Between Yao and McGrady Houston
got 40 mil sitting down ??
Houston should dump both of them !
The players play and the coach will coach. Not that hard to understand. When the coach tells you to go into the game, you go in, until then you sit! I think McGrady is one of the best when healthy, but that is the problem, he never stays healthy. Could it be the coach is concerned and wants his star player to be around come the end of the season and playoff time!? If I were the coach I wouldn't let him play until team doctors told me he was 100% healthy or better!
Also, his injury prone past should immediately take his pay down! Highest paid player? With all the time he misses! No Way should thatg be!
Its funny that this story was mentioned. I remebered years ago when Bonzi Wells played for the team. He played well, but it seemed like too well. The Rockets made it to the playoffs with Wells, but was released the year after for no reason.
Maybe the Rockets were intentionally not trying to win it all.