T-Mac Inducted to Orlando Magic Hall of Fame

The Orlando Magic selected Tracy McGrady into the franchise’s Hall of Fame for his amazing run with the team.

On March 20th, he joined Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway, and a few others as one of the greatest players in Magic history.

Don’t forget. T-Mac was also inducted to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame last summer. However, this accomplishment with Orlando meant a lot to him as well.

“On a personal level,” as McGrady spoke to Tim Reynolds from The Associated Press, “growing up in Auburndale, Florida, my mom used to drive over here every summer when I was playing basketball in Orlando…and I used to tell my mom, I would tell my friends that I was going to be wearing this uniform one day.”

When he finally set foot on the Magic floor, McGrady never failed to put on a show for his fans. He played dynamically on both ends of the court, accepted every challenge he faced, and competed with heart.

Although T-Mac couldn’t carry his team far enough during playoffs, he still made an impact as a prolific scorer. He averaged 28.1 points, 5.2 assists, 7 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 1 block, and 44.6% field goals per game. McGrady became the NBA’s Most Improved Player, a four-time All-Star, a two-time scoring champ, and an MVP candidate throughout those years.

Players won’t forget how unstoppable T-Mac was in his prime. Even the great Kobe Bryant acknowledged him as his toughest match-up.

“He had all the skills and athleticism, but he was 6’9”,” Bryant stated during an interview with Jimmy Kimmel. “And he was really tough to figure out.”

There is no doubt that McGrady deserved to be in the Hall of Fame. Congrats T-Mac!

To check out more of his highlights with the Magic, click here.

(Note: This post is also featured on Verge Campus UNLV)

Photo by NBA Media Ventures, LLC.

Welcome to the 100th Triple-Double Club, Brodie!

This week in the NBA is a story of a new milestone. Oklahoma City Thunder’s own Russell Westbrook made headlines by becoming the newest member of the 100^th Triple-Double Club.

On March 13^th against the Atlanta Hawks, Westbrook became the fourth player to reach the 100^th Triple-Double mark in his career. Along with a 119-107 victory, Westbrook tallied 32 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds in the game. This accomplishment places the reigning MVP amongst three of the greatest players who ever done it: Oscar Robertson (181), Magic Johnson (138), and Jason Kidd (107).

According to an NBA Staff Writer, the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar describes his feelings on this achievement. “I never take it for granted. The group of guys that’s ahead are Hall of Famers. I’m just happy to be a part of the crew with those guys.”

As of today, Westbrook cashed in his 101^st triple-double after another win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. He is six records shy from Jason Kidd’s. It won’t be a surprise for Westbrook to break it since he has a long career ahead of him. Not only this accomplishment has put him as one of the best players in the league, but also a valuable teammate.

Westbrook’s triple-double run is carrying the Thunder to sit in the 4^th spot of the Western Conference. Playing alongside other superstars like Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, Westbrook is still fighting for his first NBA championship.

Photo by Marcel Mutoni via SLAM Media Inc.