by Colby Ambeault, special to NY Sports Report
Tracy McGrady has been leaving his mark on basketball since the day he was born — May 24, 1979 — and with the relaunch of his Ones Basketball League (OBL) and a new role at Wagner College, T-Mac is proving he’s not done yet.
It didn’t start with instant fame for McGrady. He grew up in Bartow, Fla., and was an unknown prospect for most of his teenage life. Tracy would make a name for himself at the Adidas ABCD Camp, where he dominated America’s top prospects and left scouts with no choice but to take notice of him. By the end of his high school career at Mount Zion (N.C.) Christian Academy, McGrady went from an unknown hooper to an athlete who had received multiple national awards after averaging 27.5 points per game.
Tracy McGrady would ultimately decide to skip collegiate ball and build on his momentum from high school. In 1997, T-Mac declared for the NBA draft and was selected ninth overall to play for the Toronto Raptors — starting the 16-year professional career that would include teams like the Orlando Magic and the Houston Rockets. After a strong career with multiple honors, McGrady would retire in 2013 and be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
McGrady would never truly retire from the sports world. Instead, he would try a new sport and pick up a baseball glove — playing for the ALPB’s Sugar Land Skeeters for a season, and making the ALPB All-Star Game. T-Mac would then pivot to the media world, joining ESPN as an NBA analyst before moving to NBC as a studio analyst.
Off the air, Tracy’s business instincts kicked in: he became an initial investor in the MiLB Biloxi Shuckers, and more recently, he acquired a minority stake in the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.
Each new chapter of Tracy McGrady’s life started with him being the underdog, whether he was an unknown basketball prospect, an inexperienced baseball player, or a minority owner in a league that does not have diversified ownership of teams.
As someone who lacked proper opportunities, McGrady now dedicates his life to business and philanthropic endeavors to help create opportunities for others. McGrady highlighted this philosophy when it came to the creation of the One’s Basketball League (OBL) — where celebrities and professional athletes, who are underrepresented in the sports world, can become an Owner/General Manager of a team; and unknown athletes, like young T-Mac, get a chance to play on a professional stage.
McGrady continues to create opportunities for the underdogs of the sports world. Today he announced that he will join Wagner College, and the recently appointed Head Coach Dwan McMillan, as a volunteer Strategic Advisor for the Men’s Basketball Team. Wagner College President Jeffrey Doggett shared his optimism for what McGrady would add to the team:
“As we continue to thoughtfully strengthen our men’s basketball program and overall student-athlete experience, Tracy brings a unique combination of perspective, excellence, and commitment to development both on and off the court.”
As the Strategic Advisor, Tracy McGrady will help develop Wagner’s use of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness), marketing strategy, and player development. Using his experience as an underdog who was able to make others see his potential, McGrady’s main goal is to use what he learned throughout his career and apply it so that more athletes can show their true potential.
“It is a priority for me that goes well beyond wins and losses in the NEC. It is about making sure potential is realized both for the short and long term for these dedicated athletes and the staff.”
And although McGrady made the challenge of his athletic career seem easy, he acknowledges that this challenge will be different.
“The challenges college athletics face today, especially at the mid-major level in a city like New York, can be very difficult,” McGrady said. “I am looking forward to helping coach McMillan and his staff in every way possible to raise the profile, the level of talent and the business opportunities both on and off the court for his young athletes as they grow not just in basketball but as leaders.”
Throughout his 46 years on this planet, McGrady has embraced various underdog roles and succeeded, whether his own or another athlete’s. So, if history has taught us anything, this new partnership with Tracy McGrady will help Wagner College realize its full potential.
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