Tracy McGrady Says Goodbye to Fans With Facebook Letter

As with all NBA fans, you have likely been following the final days of Tracy McGrady as NBA player (at least a little bit). With those days officially over and as he looks towards the next chapter of his playing career in China, T-Mac took some time yesterday to write a long letter to his fans and supporters.

For the Dime family, especially those of us who have been here since Day 1 more than 10 years ago, the end of Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury and now T-Mac as NBA players is a jarring end of an era. We knew it was coming for all of them; times passes for all of us. But still, these guys were the pillars that our magazine was originally built upon and there’s a sort of depressing finality to all of this.

The image with this post is from the second issue of Dime Magazine. I met up with Tracy in a hotel in Boston New Year’s Day of 2002 to shoot that cover; back when T-Mac was arguably the world’s best basketball player. Now here we are today, with T-Mac penning letters that make it sound like he’s dying.

From his Facebook page:

There are times in life that a new road presents itself and it appears this time has come for me now. I am so proud of what I have accomplished these past 15 years playing in the NBA. It was a dream entering the league as I just turned 18 years old. I worked hard and poured my heart and soul into this game. I consider myself a student of the game as I have watched, studied and played with and against the best players in the world. The NBA was my University and I learned so much. The gratitude I feel is really immeasurable. I have experienced the best moments a player can experience and have had some dark ones too. Both equally important in helping shape me into the man I am today.

As I leave the league for now, there have been so many profound people who inspired me along my way. I have to say thank you for guiding me and having an enormous influence on the way I played basketball. Isaiah Thomas, Rich Devos, Leslie Alexander and John Gabriel, you believed in me and I thank you. Jeff Van Gundy, you exemplified the brilliance of what a great coach is. Steven A. Smith, you gave us players a voice and for that I thank you. Doug Christy, Charles Oakley, Dee Brown, Mugsy Bogues, Antonio Davis, Dell Curry, Kevin Willis, you all showed a young kid from Auburndale Florida how to be a better player. Kobe, you made me work harder and it was an honor to play against you. And Yao, we shared an experience together that will always be with me, thank you. Sonny & Pam Vaccarro showed me how there is loyalty and genuine friendship in this business. Arn Tellem and Tim Hoy, 15 years and you are still my agents. Thank you for guiding me throughout my career. When all is said and done, there is so many that made an impact on my life. I am one blessed man to have the love and never ending support of my wife CleRenda and the best 4 kids a man can ask for. But most important, I give glory and thanks to God. It is thru Him that I have been so blessed and I am forever thankful.

As I enter this next chapter, I am excited to play for Qingdao Eagles in China. I have been to China several times in the last few years and I love the people and the country. It will be an honor to play for them. Thank you to every fan that has followed me and believed in me. Injuries and all, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I am proud of the mark I left on this game and am grateful to have been a part this league. It was a dream to play in front of all of you, each night, in every stadium. Thank you.

Tmac

To round it out:

We Reminisce: The Night Tracy McGrady droppsed 62

Who Was Better Pre-Injury: Grant Hill or Tracy McGrady?

The Big Sleep: The Top 10 Dunks of Tracy McGrady’s Career

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