For hoop fans who grew up watching the early 2000s NBA, Tracy McGrady’s name doesn’t just bring back highlights—it reopens a bittersweet conversation. With an effortless scoring touch and smooth handles, McGrady lit up the league during his days with the Magic and Rockets. His seven straight All-Star nods and back-to-back scoring titles were no fluke. Still, despite all that greatness, there’s one thing missing from his basketball résumé—a championship ring.
Now, the debate around rings isn’t new—in fact, it’s louder than ever, especially with LeBron James weighing in on how much value people attach to championships. McGrady jumped into that same conversation on ESPN’s First Take and didn’t hold back. He pointed out that the situation plays a huge role, saying he “would have won titles” if the pieces had fallen into place. Using Kobe Bryant’s early success as a reference, McGrady reminded everyone, “Bryant won his first three titles while playing alongside Shaquille O’Neal.”
But the sting cuts deeper. McGrady pushed back hard at the doubters, challenging the narrative head-on. “You don’t think I could win a championship,” he asked, adding, “You don’t think I could carry the Lakers to a championship?” While his playoff runs rarely went far, his closest shot came in 2013 with the Spurs.
Even so, McGrady believes the real issue wasn’t his ability, but the opportunities that never came. “If I’m just put in the position to win a championship, I damn sure would show up and do what I do in the playoffs to elevate my team to that level,” he said. “I just never had the chance. So do I get diminished because I never won a championship?”
Tracy McGrady says he never has an opportunity to win a championship on First Take pic.twitter.com/g0J8pIimlZ
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Interestingly, T-Mac feels he never needed a ring to define who he is—and that legacy, built on authenticity, still speaks volumes.
Tracy McGrady has no regrets
For someone who once made scoring look like poetry in motion, Tracy McGrady doesn’t lose sleep over not having a ring. His Hall of Fame career may have ended without the storybook ending, but it’s the grind, not the glitter, that stays with him. The nights he carried teams, the years he pushed through injuries, and the respect he earned—those moments mean more than any banner could.
Even more telling, McGrady never chased a shortcut just to get his hands on a trophy. He wasn’t trying to be a passenger on someone else’s bus. “It depends on what player I am,” he said. “There’s a bunch of cats that has championship rings that ain’t really put in the work … I want to go through the journey. I want to go through the ups and downs. The flows of a season, 82-game season, and the playoffs.” That mindset? It’s rare in today’s title-obsessed league.
Back in 1997, McGrady entered the league straight out of high school—raw, lanky, and oozing potential. He landed on a Toronto Raptors squad that was still trying to figure itself out. Vince Carter was the main attraction, and the minutes weren’t always generous. But McGrady stayed focused, slowly carving out his place and honing the skills that would soon make him a superstar.
Once he got to Orlando, everything clicked. He led the league in scoring back-to-back in 2003 and 2004. And with Houston? He posted six solid seasons, averaging 24.1 points, 5.8 boards, and 5.2 assists. But again, the playoffs didn’t play nice.
Eventually, McGrady had his shot with the Spurs in 2013, but not the way he wanted. “I don’t want to just hop on a team and I ain’t really contributing,” he said. “It’s rewarding at the end when you win that championship going through that s—.” He made peace with that. Ring or not, his legacy still holds weight.
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