In a little over a month, on Sept. 8, Tracy McGrady will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in reward for his fantastic career which saw him go to seven All-Star Games, make two All-NBA First Teams, and win two scoring titles.
The one thing missing from his resume, of course, was a championship. He tried to get one at the end of his career, but was foiled when the San Antonio Spurs came up short during the 2013 Finals. That didn't matter to the voters, however, who still decided to induct him into the elusive club.
Ahead of that special day, McGrady was in Springfield, Massachusetts for an event with kids, and discussed the fact that he never got the ring. "Anybody can win a championship," McGrady said. "Everybody can't get in the Hall of Fame." Via MassLive:
"Social media can give a lot of people voices these days, and the first thing they say is 'No rings, no rings,'" McGrady said on Friday, in an appearance at the Hall of Fame's 60 Days of Summer Program. "You have to have a great team and some luck to get a ring, right? Unfortunately, I wasn't blessed with that. But I go back at them with this: Anybody can win a championship. Everybody can't get in the Hall of Fame."
He might not have made it if he had managed to win a ring or two, but McGrady's point is a good one. The Hall of Fame is an exclusive club for a reason, as you have to be one of the best players of your generation to get in, while you can sit at the end of the bench and collect a few rings.
