“It was about to go down, but MJ made the calls, ‘Yo, if y’all do that, I’m retiring” - Tracy McGrady on how Michael Jordan vetoed his trade to the Chicago Bulls for Scottie Pippen
Some Michael Jordan and Tracy McGrady history was released on Wednesday’s episode of the “Knuckleheads” podcast. McGrady shared a special story about the time he was almost traded to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for pippen' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>scottie-pippen" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Scottie Pippen.
Michael Jordan vetoes Tracy McGrady trade to Bulls
Tracy McGrady said:
“Chicago wanted me SO bad, bro … Draft night, I almost got traded for Scottie. They, uh, the night before the draft, Jerry Krause called my agent, got me up 12 o’clock at night, had me go to a secret location to take a physical. It was about to go down, but MJ made the calls; ‘Yo, if y’all do that I’m retiring’”
Jordan and Scottie Pippen won six championships together, so it makes sense why Jordan would want to keep Pippen. The two were a pair, and Pippen knew his role alongside Jordan and complemented his greatness well. A player like McGrady needs his own space to shine on the court, and Jordan probably would not have wanted someone in his spotlight on the Bulls.
Michael Jordan was a five-time MVP in 15 seasons.
McGrady entered the NBA straight out of high school, chosen by the Toronto Raptors with the ninth overall pick in the 1997 draft. He became the face of their team in his three years as a Raptor. He then blossomed, becoming an All-Star for the first time after being traded to the Orlando Magic in August 2000.
McGrady recalled how badly the Bulls wanted him:
“Then when I was a free agent in '99-2000, after that season, he came back again to try to get me, Jerry Krause. When I tell you he rolled out the red carpet, bro, I mean, as soon as I got off the plane, they had a band, they had the cheerleaders.”
McGrady ended up going to Orlando, earning the Most Improved Player award for the 2000-01 season.
The Hall of Famer and seven-time All-Star averaged 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game in 938 games. Much like Jordan, he played with an excessive amount of flair. McGrady always knew how to get in and around the key, finishing with poise and execution that would excite the crowd.
To be able to see “Air Jordan” and McGrady on the same team would have been absolutely special. Balking at the price of exchanging Scottie Pippen for McGrady, however, is an argument that most will side with Jordan on.
Jordan and Pippen are arguably the NBA’s most notable duo. Regardless, the combined flair and tenacity of both Jordan and McGrady would have been legendary as well.