I was never the biggest fan of either Tracy McGrady or Allen Iverson. At different points in their respective careers, I thought of them as ballhogs, fame-whores, and one-dimensional. I wasn't surprised they couldn't lead their respective teams all the way. Both of them were able to enter the NBA Finals, yes (AI in 2001 and T-Mac just this year -- almost beating the Heat at that!), but neither has a ring to boast of.
 |
| How will we remember Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson? (image by Gary Bassing/NBAE/Getty Images) |
Now, they're both gone. Their relevancy is now limited to casual conversations about bygone stars, the post-Jordan-era faces of the league, and having insane scoring stretches (AI has that five-straight 40+ streak while T-Mac has his 13 points in 33 seconds).
But no rings. No O'Briens. All the NBA Titles these guys won were only on my NBA Live and 2K games (maybe yours, too), and I had to team them up just to do that (yes, it worked with BOTH these guys on the team -- at one point, though, I had to have Todd McCullough, Matt Harpring, and Smush Parker as my other starters).
Then again, when people debate about whether either should be considered for a hallowed spot in the Basketball Hall of Fame, should the rings (or lack thereof) even matter? These guys helped define a generation of hardwood stars. They may have fallen short of the most conventional barometer of success (titles), but they were successful in spreading the gospel of Naismith and to a new generation of hoop nuts.
 |
| Are T-Mac and AI Hall of Fame bound? (image from thescore.com) |
In that light, let us go down memory lane and remember two of the most iconic NBAers of the late 90s and early-mid 2000s.
Allen Iverson's Highlights from the NBA Lights Out DVD:
Tracy McGrady's Highlights from the NBA Lights Out DVD:
0 Comment