Tracy McGrady may have missed out on making the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, but he remains one of the most prolific scorers in the history of the game. Injuries robbed TMac of having a long career, but he was still good enough to give NBA fans some truly exciting memories, especially during his time with the Houston Rockets when he played alongside Yao Ming.
McGrady’s most iconic accomplishment is when he scored 13 points in 33 seconds in the very last minute of a game against the San Antonio Spurs to mount an improbable comeback and win. McGrady’s run erased a serious deficit in the dying seconds of the game as he made 4 three-pointers in 4 shots, including one where he was fouled to make it a four-point play.
And while he gets asked about the performance often to this date, he was surprised in a recent interview when someone calculated for him what it would mean if he averaged that scoring pace for 40 minutes, with the answer being truly incredible:
Buster: “13 points in 33 seconds. So I got something fun for you. You averaged 40.8 minutes per game in that season in 2004-05, if I’m not mistaken. Do you know how many points you would have scored in that game if you rounded that up to the number of minutes and you ratio the 13 in 33?”
Tracy McGrady: “You know what, that’s crazy, that is interesting. Nobody’s ever asked me that question and I don’t know the answer to that. So, Buster, please lay it on me.”
Buster: “Your mind is going to be blown, because my mind was blown. 964 points.”
Tracy McGrady: “What?”
Buster: “For all the math nerds out there, in 40.8 minutes there are 2,448 seconds. So you would multiple that by 13 and then divide that by 33. You come out with 964 points.”
Tracy McGrady: “That is insane. That is insane, brother. Wow.”
Considering that Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 100 points in an NBA game is considered largely untouchable, it puts into perspective McGrady’s shooting during that final minute against the San Antonio Spurs in 2004. Whether others give him the respect he deserves or not, McGrady’s truly historic performances will always have a place in the hearts of those that witnessed his greatness.
