OAKLAND, CA – 2000: Tracy McGrady of the Toronto Raptors competes in the Slam Dunk competition at the Oakland Arena on February 2000 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright NBAE 2000 (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

Tracy McGrady was one of the most successful swingmen to play in the NBA. At a slim and lanky 6’8, McGrady had a quick first step, a smooth glide to the basket, a jab step with counter moves and a crossover dribble that makes you think Kevin Durant and George ‘The Iceman’ Gervin all-in-one.

To quote the late Notorious B.I.G., the Washington Wizards, Shawn Bradley and the New Jersey Nets ‘have a story to tell’ after the nightmares McGrady gave them with his scoring assaults that he unleashed in his prime.  

Step-backs and fall-aways, creativity in mid-air that seemed effortless, Tracy McGrady was the real deal in his NBA career.

This weekend, McGrady a 14-year retired NBA veteran, who in 938 games averaged 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Historically, many remember McGrady’s Houston Rocket days when he heroically scored 13 points in 35 seconds.

That December 9, 2004 rescue and 81-80 win over the San Antonio Spurs was no easy feat. For posterity’s sake, that was no easy feat. In 33 seconds, it took four buckets from beyond the arc, a made free throw to complete a four-point play and a steal to win by one point!

The only remotely exciting comparison to that game was the Indiana Pacers’ Reggie Miller’s eight points in nine seconds performance against the New York Knicks. With the Pacers down eight points with in nine seconds remaining in Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals, Reggie Miller pulled off a comeback like no other.

I’ll tread lightly though; Knicks fans are still healing from that disappointment.

McGrady’s journey is memorable and worth recounting. Tracy McGrady was drafted ninth by the Toronto Raptors in the 1997 NBA Draft. That draft class was laden with talent with two future Hall of Famers standing out from that list: Detroit Pistons hero Chauncey Billups and old reliable San Antonio Spurs big, Tim Duncan.

McGrady was special; so special the biggest rumor in 1997 was that the Bulls were looking to trade Scottie Pippen to acquire him.

In Jonathan Abrams’ book “Boys Among Men,”  (H/T CBS Sports’ Matt Moore)  it was revealed that Tracy McGrady was nearly traded to the Chicago Bulls for Scottie Pippen on draft night in 1997, but Michael Jordan vetoed it. McGrady confirmed that on an episode of ESPN’s The Jump with Rachel Nichols.

As Vice President of Basketball Operations of the Toronto Raptors, NBA Hall of Famer and two-time champ Isiah Thomas drafted McGrady in ‘97.

In Toronto, Thomas built a promising young roster when he drafted Damon Stoudamire, McGrady and Marcus Camby. What was significant about that budding roster was a). They played what is known in today’s game as small ball. b). McGrady would leave Toronto and flourish in Orlando.

**Expect Kyrie Irving’s move from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Boston Celtics to have a similar impact.

In a recent interview on Scoop B Radio, Isiah Thomas, now President of Basketball Operations for the WNBA’s New York Liberty broke down his thought process while housing McGrady in the 6. “When I put together the Toronto Raptors, if you remember the power forward position at that time was a position of strength, dominance, and you had to be physically strong to play that position,” Thomas told me.

“The shooting guard would be coming off of the power forward and the center would be your offense. During that time, what I talked about with my scouting staff and also our ownership group at that time was that we have to find a way to change the game and really affect things out on the floor. We came up with what we called the Raptor Two. And Raptor Two basically had to be a power forward that could also have guard skills, he had to be able to switch the power forward and the shooting guard and not lose ground.”

Added Thomas:

“One of the first trades that I made was for Doug Christie. The game was getting smaller, we had eliminated the power forward position and made it a very skilled position, so I’ll fast forward then I”ll take you back to McGrady. The thing that I left Toronto with was Stoudamire, Camby, Christie, McGrady, and they drafted [Vince]Carter, that was the blueprint.”

For two seasons (1998-2000), McGrady, Vince Carter, Doug Christie and company would lead the Raptors to a 68-64 record. Those feats included the Raptors first-ever winning season where they went 45-37 in 2000.

Toronto also made their first NBA playoff appearance, where they’d be swept 3-0 by the New York Knicks. Despite being swept, McGrady earned his big payday in the NBA Playoff. In game one, T-Mac registered 25 points and hauled in 10 rebounds.

“With T-Mac, a lot of people don’t know or would know that T-Mac was a decent player when he left Toronto and he got the opportunity with that one playoff game where they played New York,” McGrady’s Orlando Magic teammate, Darrell Armstrong told me on Scoop B Radio.

That offseason, McGrady bolted Toronto and signed a six-year, $67.5 million contract with the Orlando Magic. “Vince was being covered so much by all the guys on New York that T-Mac started to get off,” said Armstrong.

“And people started to see T-Mac’s talent during the playoffs that year. That is when we went and got him and that is when he came to the Magic that next year and what he did from there was just amazing because that is what he was supposed to be doing when he got to Toronto.”

Tracy McGrady guarded by Michael Jordan. Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports

A chance to play in his home state of Florida and team up with Grant Hill? Who could blame T-Mac?

“He put in the work and he dedicated himself everyday when he got into the game,” said Armstrong.

“He [knew he] was going to be one of the top players in the league and he did it. It was fun to see him and Kobe Bryant go at each other, Michael Jordan go at each other.  I was just amazed by it, the things that he could do. But he was something special.”

Although McGrady struggled to get out of the second round of the NBA Playoffs, we can never forget the 2003 NBA Playoffs when the league’s scoring champion shot over 51 percent from the field against the Detroit Pistons in their round one series.

The Magic had a 3-1 lead in the series with McGrady scoring 43, 46, 29 and 27 points, respectively against Detroit; but Orlando couldn’t seal the deal. They were eliminated.

If you’re keeping score at home, other exciting Tracy McGrady moments include:

• Landing an off-the-backboard alley-oop, thrown to himself during the 2002 NBA All Star Game.
• McGrady’s Adidas sneaker commercials were also enjoyable. 
• McGrady’s global reach in China substantiated after teaming with Yao Ming in Houston.
• Most importantly: McGrady’s duels with Kobe Bryant were legendary.

Suggested Articles:

The Next Big Showcase’s Cliff Po & DJ Tarzan Making Dreams Reality in NYC & NJ

Scoop B Radio: Turner Sports’ Steve Smith Talks Career & More

The post Scoop B: Tracy McGrady’s Hall of Fame Career Is A Master Class In Knowing Self-Worth appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan. Photo Credit: CBS Sports

The Orlando Magic were an intrigue to the NBA in 2000 when Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill created a superteam slated to rule the NBA’s Eastern Conference.Grant Hill started at point guard, Darrell Armstrong slid to the two-guard with McGrady staring at the 3, with Drew Gooden and John Amaechi at the 4 and 5, respectively.

The team coached by Doc Rivers was slated even had Mike Miller coming off the bench!

The biggest intrigue in the whole operation was the talk that Tim Duncan was coming to Orlando in the 2000 NBA free agency craze.  

Check Out Darrell Armstrong Discuss Probabilities of Tim Duncan joining the Orlando Magic in 2000 on Scoop B Radio

With Tracy McGrady being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend, one can’t help but wonder: ‘What If?’

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich thought Duncan going to Orlando was a real possibility though!

“It was a nerve-wrecking time,” Popovich admitted in an interview. (H/T CBS Sports’ Matt Moore)

Added Popovich:

“It was hell. You get close to a player and you don’t want to see him leave. I never let myself believe he was going to stay. I was just getting myself prepared, for sanity reasons. It’s no fun.”

“It also seems like it takes forever to resolve. That’s the worst part of it. We made our pitch to him and let him be, let him make up his own mind.”

Former Orlando Magic guard Darrell Armstrong tells a different story on Scoop B Radio: “Tim wasn’t going nowhere,” said Armstrong.

Darrell Armstrong. Photo Credit: Alchetron

“I mean where Tim played at and finished at, that was where Tim was going to be. Tim wasn’t going to go nowhere. We all love to entertain and see who is going to be out there. I don’t even believe he even thought about leaving San Antonio especially after winning some Championships. So I mean, no he wasn’t going anywhere. Sometimes you call the guys when free agency starts and you call them and talk to guys and they wanted me to call and I was sitting there like I am not you shouldn’t even call this guy he isn’t leaving.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Suggested Articles:

The Next Big Showcase’s Cliff Po & DJ Tarzan Making Dreams Reality in NYC & NJ

Scoop B Radio: Turner Sports’ Steve Smith Talks Career & More

The post “Tim Wasn’t Going Nowhere,” Darrell Armstrong On Tim Duncan Joining Tracy McGrady, Grant Hill & Orlando Magic In 2000 Free Agency appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

NBA Hall of Famer Dr. J, Julius Erving chats with sports & entertainment journalist Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson. Photo Credit: Eric Salvary

Dr. J, Julius Erving had an amazing 16-year NBA career. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer was also one of the best slam dunkers to play the game in both the ABA era and the NBA.

Dr. J was also a Rucker Park Legend. 

In basketball, comparisons are often made in sports and it can kind of distract fans and players from the actual game. While everyone is comparing LeBron James to Michael Jordan and deciding if the Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant is the next heir to the throne, this comparison game is not new.  “My early years, I was inspired by players and comparisons were made with Elgin Baylor and number one was Connie Hawkins,” Julius Erving told me on Scoop B Radio.

“There were some definite, real comparisons to be made.”

Check out Dr. J, Julius Erving and Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on Scoop B Radio Overtime

Dr. J didn’t just discuss comparisons on Scoop B Radio. He also talked about Tim Duncan.

Dr. J, Julius Erving and Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson at Hofstra University Gala. Photo Credit: Eric Salvary

“Yeah when you start doing all-time players and start picking your top five, your top ten or your top fifteen, whatever Tim Duncan needs to show up in that conversation,” he said. 

Added Dr. J: 

“I have a top 5. I have had it since I was 15 years old. That doesn’t change for me because those were my five favorite players. That would be my team if I was going to start a team. So I go Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson. That’s my five.”

Suggested Articles:

The Next Big Showcase’s Cliff Po & DJ Tarzan Making Dreams Reality in NYC & NJ

Scoop B Radio: Turner Sports’ Steve Smith Talks Career & More

The post Scoop B: Julius ‘Dr. J’ Erving Names His Top 5 NBA Players, Praises Tim Duncan appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Nov 19, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich reacts in the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Last night, the San Antonio Spurs were massacred 126-99 in game one of their Western Conference semifinals matchup against  the Houston Rockets.

During his post game presser, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich was not pleased!

As per For The Win’s Nina Mandell, here was the exchange: 

Reporter: “Pop there’s nothing for us to ask except to get your take on what the heck just happened.”

Popovich: “We lost. They won. And they played better.”

The reporter followed up with another question and Popovich had a more complete answer about what exactly went wrong in the game (“sure we competed but I don’t think we executed”).

Timing is everything in the art of interviewing. It’s listening, it’s research and more importantly it is about being a person.

Real G’s do real things and Coach Pop is about as genuine as it gets! That said, get ready for a genuine response.

I realized that first hand last year, when I chatted with Coach Popovich about leadership.

Check Out Coach Gregg Popovich and Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson Talk About Donald Trump & Drake On Scoop B Radio Overtime

In high school, I read The Autobiography of Douglas McArthur. General MacArthur commanded the United States through the Southwest Pacific in World War II. The autobiography thoroughly highlighted MacArthur’s military career, his personal life and the battles during World War II. MacArthur was one of only five men promoted to the five-star rank of General of the Army during World War II. What left an indelible mark on me while reading MacArthur’s book was his dedication to leadership, his constant examples that he left to his subordinates of his character and his emphasis on behaving in a manner in which peoplewould want to follow him.

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich in the U.S. Air Force. Photo Credit: San Antonio Express News

While reading that autobiography back in high school, MacArthur reminded me so much of Popovich. Popovich, himself spent five years in the service in the United States Air Force.

Popovich’s dad wasn’t in the service, but when you ask the Spurs coach who his models for leadership were. His answer might surprise you.“I try not to idolize too many people,” Popovich told me.

Whoa! That’s real!

”I think that all idols have feet of clay and I think that especially in our country, we tend to mythologize people. So I look to people that I’ve known personally, whether that’s a coach or teacher, a relative; somebody that I respect because I know them. But people who I don’t know that have been mythologized, I don’t know them much. At the top of my head, Thomas Jefferson was a great guy; he was a slave owner. You can make that similar analogy with a lot of other people who have been idolized. They all have flaws. So I go for people that I know.”

After last night’s she-lacking by the Rockets, some folks were ready to write the Spurs off. The Rockets after all, are very talented: James Harden, Trevor Ariza, Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson, Patrick Beverly and Lou Williams are some of the names on that roster. Credit is due where credit is due! 

Malik Rose won two championships with Popovich in 1999 and 2003. Now the Atlanta Hawks’ manager of basketball operations, Rose once told me about Pop: “He’s not afraid to say what he believes and stand by it. He genuinely cares about his players. It’s more than basketball.”

Coach Pop is no slouch. He is this generation’s Phil Jackson because he wins and has gained the respect of his players and players on opposing teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James, New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony, Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul. Coach Pop has seemlessly been able to navigate the passing of the torch of players during his career, as well.

David Robinson retired in 2003 and passed the torch to Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. Duncan retired and now the keys are in the hands of Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge. It is not likely that the Spurs will go down like they did last night against the Rockets. The team is not chopped liver. But it will take defensive adjustments and players not reacting like Dewayne Dedmon did to Nene last night.

In the meantime, let’s watch Pop continue to be Pop and make us reporters search for the next question.

Suggested Articles:

The post Scoop B: Getting San Antonio Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich To Answer Questions Is All About Timing appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Yesterday he tweeted about the Cleveland Browns, not for the first time. He mentioned the head coach Hue Jackson asking to join the coaching staff as a “route running specialist.”  Though the Browns already have a wide receiver coach, Ochocinco has created quite the stir and even a possible new job category(?).

Though Ochocinco has made it clear he is bored without a job considering it has been five years, sheesh. This job would be more be more than a hobby for the former Bengal. This move has been in the works since early March when he tweeted the Browns on twitter saying:

“@Browns Can you ask Hue if I can come & work with the receivers, thanks.”

Now only four months later that tweet has turned into reality as he told twitter he was blessed with a job from the Browns. Its really amazing how far a tweet can go in todays society.

The sports world has truly been turned upside down with players trading trading teams, players retiring (Thank you Tim Duncan), and now players turned coaches.

This next season of football as well as basketball will be something interesting. The Browns are surely a team that has been in the spotlight especially with Johnny Manziel‘s unfortunate involvements. Maybe Ochocinco or “Coachocinco” (the new name that his twitter followers have been referring to him as) will be able to turn their misfortune upside down and use his knowledge and noggin for some good.

Suggested Articles:

disRESPECT: Bengals Fan Burns Ochocinco Jersey

Johnny Manziel is Kicked out of Club for Fighting

The post Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson is Now Coaching! appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Tim Duncan’s

The Spurs announced this morning [Monday, July 11] that their franchise power forward Tim Duncan would retire from the league. “Even tho I knew it was coming, I’m still moved by the news. What a HUGE honor to have played with him for 14 seasons!,” Manu Ginobli tweeted earlier today.

The retirement ends what was one of the league’s greatest group of three; Duncan, Ginobli, and Tony Parker. Together, those guys did damage to their opposition. They won 126 playoff games together, becoming the most by any trio in the league. Duncan came a long way from being held scoreless in his first college game at Wake Forest, to finishing his NBA career average with 19 points,  10.8 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per-game.

Drafted in 1997, Duncan and former teammate David Robinson, became a backcourt you just didn’t want to deal with. They were known as the “Twin Towers” and a huge threat to their opponents. Their dominance underneath the rim, led teams to take low percentage shots around the floor. In 2003, the duo would reach their stopping point as Robinson exited the league. However, Duncan continued to do damage on the court. In the 2012-2013 NBA Finals, Duncan and his team suffered defeat to the Miami Heat. They redeemed themselves the following year with an overall record of 62-20 during the regular season, leading to Duncan’s last and final championship win over the Heat.

Duncan’s retirement was in question throughout the entire playoff series. As they lost game six to the Oklahoma City Thunder, many wondered if it would be the last time they saw Duncan suit up for play.

Predicting the future, his announced retirement did come, during an off-the-wall summer of movement in the league. Duncan has yet to give a statement on his retirement. Tomorrow [Tuesday, July 12] the Spurs will hold a press conference but Duncan will not be present.

Coach Greg Popovich and Duncan have the most wins by any player/coach duo in league history, with 1,001. Duncan made coaching easy for Pop, and their bond is something that words can not explain.

There are a lot of guys and teams in this league that I couldn’t walk in the gym and try to coach them, because I’m going to be too direct, and that’s what we believe. If you did poorly, we’re going to tell you. If you did well, we’re going to tell you. If Timmy isn’t rebounding, I’m going to get on him just like the 11th or 12th guy on the team. – Coach Popovich

“There are a lot of stars out there who can’t handle that. They don’t want to be criticized at all. But Tim’s comfortable enough in his own skin to know that I’m gonna tell him right between the eyes what’s going on.

Suggested Articles:

Kobe Bryant Announces Retirement 

Russell Westbrook to stay in OKC 

The post Tim Duncan Retires After 19-Year Tenure in NBA appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.