Tag: Tracy McGrady

Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, Jozy Altidore become limited ownership partners of Bills

Bills ownership has 10 new limited partners

The Buffalo Bills announce 10 limited partners to their ownership group on Wednesday. Three of the names are familiar from other sports.

Among the new limited partners are former NBA stars Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter. Soccer star Jozy Altidore is also part of the group.

Bills release statement on former athlete group potentially buying stake in team

Bills release statement on former athlete group potentially buying stake in team

The Buffalo Bills have released a statement regarding a potential sale of a minority stake in the team following a report on Tuesday which indicated that might happen.

According to Sportico, a few former star athletes in Jozy Altidore, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady are interested. The trio were recently spotted at the Bills’ “Monday Night Football” matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In the release, it was noted that owner Terry Pegula and his family is committed to keeping the team in western New York. No worries there.

But there was an admission that there has been some research into the possibility of this happening. There was no mention of any specific buyers, though.

The release can be found below:

Report: Group of former sports stars in talks to buy minority stake in Bills

Report: Group of former sports stars in talks to buy minority stake in Bills

Despite not having played in the NFL, a few former star athletes in Jozy Altidore, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady are interested in buying a piece of the Buffalo Bills.

According to Sportico, the trio are in talks to purchase a minority stake in Buffalo’s football team. All have connections to Toronto professional teams during their playing days.

Carter and McGrady played in the NBA, meanwhile, Altidore is a former United States soccer player.

Re, Toronto: Carter and McGrady began their NBA careers with the Toronto Raptors and Altidore spent seven years with Toronto FC.

According to the Buffalo News, the Bills did not confirm the trio are interested in buying a minority stake specifically, but did tell the outlet that there has been a “significant amount of interest” from potential minority owners.

While there is no confirmation from the team, it makes sense. All three were spotted attending Buffalo’s “Monday Night Football” clash against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

While there might be some pause because of the Toronto connection… no need to worry. With a new stadium on the way and a 30-year lease on the docket for the Bills in Orchard Park… the team is not going anywhere.

In mid-April, The Athletic reported that the Terry Pegula owned team did express interest in selling to minority owners.

Bills Wire will provide updates as information in made available.

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Which San Antonio Spurs short-timer made HoopsHype’s greatest NBA players at No. 76?

Most people probably don’t think of this player as a Spur, given he never played a regular season game for them.

While most fans of the team do not tend to think of his (incredibly brief) tenure with the San Antonio Spurs, for a total of 12 postseason contests at the end of his career, Hall of Fame wing Tracy McGrady was a Spur. And that history lets San Antonio claim the player that our sister site HoopsHype has ranked at No. 76 overall on their 78 greatest NBA players of all time list.

His lack of postseason success before he linked up with the Spurs in 2013 hurt his overall standing in this ranking, however. “A more impressive playoff career (he never made it out of the first round in his prime) could have greatly changed where Tracy McGrady finished in this ranking, as could have more longevity,” writes HoopsHype.

“But at his peak, McGrady was one of the most explosive and productive do-everything wings in basketball, one who would have dominated in the modern NBA,” they add.

Maybe if he had joined San Antonio a little sooner, he might not be on the fringes of this list. We kid, but only a little.

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Tracy McGrady to induct Vince Carter into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

Former Toronto Raptor teammate and cousin Tracy McGrady to induct Tar Heel Vince Carter into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

North Carolina Tar Heel [autotag]Vince Carter[/autotag] announced on Fanduel’s ‘Run it Back’ that Tracy McGrady will be one of the people inducting him into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. 

Carter, as well as other UNC late great Walter Davis, will be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame on August 17th in Symphony Hall, Springfield, MA.

It’s only fitting that McGrady is one of the selected few to induct Carter into basketball heaven, given their on and off-court connection. 

Watch below as Michelle Beadle tosses Carter the million-dollar question:

Not only were Carter and McGrady teammates in the NBA when they played for the Toronto Raptors but also cousins. McGrady revealed a year ago, he found out at a family reunion while Carter was playing at the University of North Carolina that the two were cousins, and the rest was history. 

Carter and McGrady were teammates for two seasons, electrifying fans in attendance. McGrady is also in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, getting inducted in 2017.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Vince Carter reveals NBA’s dunk contest plans that featured top stars

Vince Carter reveals the NBA’s dunk contest plans that featured top stars, including Lebron James and Kobe Bryant.

[autotag]Vince Carter[/autotag] reveals NBA’s dunk contest plans that featured the biggest stars but failed due to lack of participation.

According to Carter, the NBA schemed up every hoop fan’s dream of a slam dunk contest that would’ve featured Lebron James, Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant, and Carter himself. The story was revealed on Fanduel’s flagship NBA show, Run it Back, and caught the attention of the masses as speculation took over on why the dream dunk contest did not happen.

The story becomes even more bizarre when it is revealed that each star would’ve walked away with 1 million dollars each, giving a hefty incentive to put on a show for the crowd. Fans pinpointed James as why, seeing the other three testing their luck in the competition.

Undoubtedly there is no way to confirm or deny why this lineup didn’t take place, but it’s fun to think about what could’ve been arguably the greatest dunk contest of all time.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Where Rockets rank in updated list of 77 greatest NBA players of all-time

With 77 NBA seasons in the books, @HoopsHype issued an updated list of the greatest 77 players of all-time. Here’s where players with #Rockets ties were ranked.

The 2023-24 regular season is the NBA’s 78th overall, which means 77 seasons are in the books.

With that in mind, our friends at HoopsHype recently compiled an updated list of the NBA’s best 77 players of all time, complete with statistics and information through the 2022-23 campaign.

As one might expect, the Rockets are well represented. Along with many All-Stars over the years, they had three Most Valuable Player (MVP) award winners: Hakeem Olajuwon, Moses Malone and James Harden. Historically, Houston is among the league’s top franchises.

Granted, the Rockets haven’t won a championship since Olajuwon led them to their only two in the 1994 and 1995 NBA Finals. But the hope is that could change in the years ahead. If it does, perhaps a rising star such Jalen Green, Amen Thompson or Jabari Smith Jr. might crack an updated version of this list in a decade or so.

For now, with the start of 2023-24 training camp only days away, here’s a look back at where legacy Rockets stand on HoopsHype’s updated list of the 77 greatest players in NBA history.

Tracy McGrady reveals he blew his draft workouts with the Boston Celtics to avoid playing for Rick Pitino

“I wouldn’t mind playing for Boston but I didn’t want to play for Rick Pitino at that time because he was too tough, man,” said McGrady.

It seems as time passes, we learn ever more about how the Rick Pitino years did the Boston Celtics franchise few favors.

NBA legend Tracy McGrady added to that narrative on a recent episode of the “Ryen Russillo” podcast (h/t MassLive’s Brian Robb). McGrady admitted he did his best to avoid being drafted by the Pitino-led club in the 1997 NBA draft.

Russillo, noting McGrady reportedly did not talk much in his workout for Boston (who passed on the future phenom twice before he was drafted ninth overall), asked “Was it something specific about Boston or was it because you were 18 and didn’t have a lot to say?”

“I just remember in college, I was being recruited by Kentucky and I knew how hard and how tough Rick Pitino was,” explained McGrady. “Rick Pitino had left and become Boston coach and I was like, ‘I don’t know if I want to play for Rick Pitino.’”

“The reason being because (Boston) was probably my hardest predraft workout ever,” he added. “I wouldn’t mind playing for Boston, but I didn’t want to play for Rick Pitino at that time because he was too tough, man.”

“It was just finding a way … to hurt myself and get them not to draft me by not talking. I did fine with my interviews with everyone else but Boston, not so much. … I had some instructions coming down. I was influenced.”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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McGrady: Best NBA player conversation ‘was me and Kobe (Bryant)’

Tracy McGrady recalled how he was in the conversation with Kobe Bryant for being the best NBA player for a brief time in the early 2000s.

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In the early 2000s, while Shaquille O’Neal was unquestionably the best big man and most dominant player in the NBA, his teammate Kobe Bryant became the best all-around player or non-big man around.

However, for a little while, the late Los Angeles Lakers legend had a big competitor for that honor, at least in the minds of some fans and analysts.

Tracy McGrady, a player who was similar to Bryant when it came to his physique and skills, was also an outstanding player in those years. While most gave the nod to Bryant, McGrady was considered right on his heels.

McGrady recalled that debate with Patrick Beverley while saying he lacked one thing that may have made him the best (h/t Lakers Daily).

“That was a conversation of who was the best players in the league,” McGrady said to Beverley. “It was me and Kobe — of barbershop talk and around the league. Real hoopers, real basketball people know.”

Unfortunately for McGrady, he never won an NBA championship, and he was also criticized for not playing his best in crunch-time situations. In fact, he never won a single playoff series until his final season, when he was a bit player for the San Antonio Spurs.

Unlike Bryant, who was totally dedicated to his craft, McGrady didn’t take great care of his body. Perhaps as a result, his production started to decline in his mid-20s as he dealt with chronic back problems and other ailments.

While Bryant averaged at least 25 points a game in 12 seasons, McGrady only did so five times, and by age 30 he was down to averaging single digits in scoring.

Tracy McGrady on the Victor Wembanyama hype: ‘It’s too much, bro’

One Hall of Famer believes the hype surrounding Victor Wembanyama is a bit too much.

Victor Wembanyama is in the midst of a well-documented transition to the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs. The No. 1 pick has had plenty of hype surrounding his arrival in the United States.

Wembanyama is fresh off a dominating campaign with Metropolitans 92 in France, in which he was named MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. Because of that run, along with his size and overall ability, he is viewed as the most-hyped rookie since perhaps LeBron James.

James once referred to Wembanyama as an alien instead of a unicorn given his unique skills. Hall of Famer Magic Johnson also gushed over his potential and called him a league-changing type of prospect.

But it is a bit too much for one Hall of Famer.

In an interview with Howard Beck of GQ, Tracy McGrady pushed back on the notion the league hasn’t seen a player like Wembanyama prior to this season.

I’m just saying the hype is crazy to me. It’s too much, bro. I’ve seen this before. Y’all act like you haven’t seen it. That (expletive) that Bol Bol can do? He’s just not given the real opportunity, like I think he should. That kid is skilled. (Kristaps) Porzingis was highly skilled when he first came out, just like that. And hell, he’s 7-3, too. So I’ve seen it.

The hype is just crazy. But I get it. It’s the media, they’re looking for a face for the NBA, and you got to have a new star that you got to build around. Bron is about to be on his way out, Steph (Curry) and those guys, I get it.

Wembanyama debuted with the Spurs on July 7 in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. He had an uneven first game but responded with a 27-point, 12-rebound effort two nights later and showed what made him so highly touted entering the NBA draft.

McGrady believes Wembanyama landed with the perfect organization to help with the move to the NBA. Having Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan, David Robinson and others available to talk to, McGrady said, will put him in a position to succeed.

“He’s in a perfect situation because he’s around greatness,” McGrady said. “One of the greatest coaches ever, greatest power forward ever, one of the greatest centers ever. Sit down and have those conversations with those guys, and just soak up all the advice you possibly could.”

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