NBA / Aug 3, 2011 / 4:30 pm

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

Tracy McGrady

Do you ever find yourself bored at work, surfing YouTube and getting sucked into old highlights? The old Tracy McGrady tapes, the really old ones from back in Toronto and the first few years in Orlando can get you thinking. You see the elbow sweat band, the long gait, the knee straps, the rawness of his whole game from the way his jumpers would sometimes careen to the side or how many of his points came off wild, leaning shots in the lane.

We will never get rid of Tracy McGrady, mostly because lost potential, and lost greatness is the worst thing of all. The best of ‘Mac was fleeting and that’s why we cherish it.

Back in the day, T-Mac could jump. But he was different than the way Kobe dunked or the way Vince dunked. It was all longer, like a boa stretching farther and farther, or an octopus expanding and consuming. A top 10 Tracy McGrady dunk list was coming, and it’s been coming ever since one muggy afternoon in the summer of 1996 when McGrady put down the most mythical dunk in the history of this game. As far as I know, no video exists of the dunk that changed the careers of both McGrady and James Felton. If we did have video, it would be No. 1. Instead, here are the top 10 dunks of McGrady’s career.

*** *** ***

10. Over David Robinson
It was Jason Terry once who described this dunk as an MJ dunk, one where you get up in the air not knowing what you’re gonna do and then just coming up with something crazy. In mid-air, T-Mac wasn’t as creative as some of the game’s greatest swingmen, but this one was good enough. Twisting and turning, then throwing it reverse on a man who was still an upper-echelon defensive center gets you into the top 10.

9. B.M.O.C.
Stop it at :30 seconds to see one of the illest high school facials you will ever find. It’s all there, everything you need for a perfect dunk. Even in high school, McGrady had it. This one gets extra points for being HoopsTV footage anyways.

8. Over Othella Harrington & the Knicks
I think this was officially the last time Othella ever tried to block another shot.

7. Bulldozing through Canada
Vince better watch out. I’m gonna be playing him and I know all his moves…Okay, we will see. He says he wants to guard me? Okay… No sibling rivalry ever took on a life like the VC/T-Mac feud during the summer of 2000, when this much was clear: McGrady didn’t want to take a backseat any longer. Those words stung Carter. Then, McGrady went out and drove them home.

6. T-Mac nearly jumps out of the building
Watching McGrady in Toronto was a chore. He missed open 15 footers, dribbled the ball out of bounds, made insanely difficult shots in the lane and then bricked free throws. But once every month or so, he would do something like this…

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13 Responses to “The Big Sleep: Top 10 Dunks Of Tracy McGrady’s Career”

  1. jzsmoove says:

    I have a soft spot for TMac, even though without accomplishing much. Thank you for the show, few players leave me in awe watching them do their thing. Black TMac retro magic uniform will be always fly high in this dude’s collection too.

  2. deeds says:

    The Bradley dunk is clearly number 1. Put your personal bias aside for two seconds

  3. panchitoooo says:

    after watching all 10 highlights im in the mood to watch some steve francis top 10 dunks

  4. nizzio says:

    T-Mac literally ended a mans career

  5. arislocote says:

    I miss seeing my boy tmac dunk on everybody…

  6. Jay Chau says:

    There IS a video of that windmill poster of T-Mac from ABCD camp. I’ve seen it. I have no reason to lie.

  7. Promoman says:

    Where’s the dunk he put on Tim Thomas in the 2001 NBA Playoffs? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apPvxWalwKU

  8. Billy says:

    @jay chau any links to the video of the dunk?

  9. Omer says:

    Excellent compilation, now if we could just find the video of that legendary dunk…

  10. Sean Sweeney says:

    I refuse to believe there is footage of that dunk. I refuse. I’ve looked far and wide for damn near a decade and never seen anything (even though I’ve heard people say they’ve seen it plenty of times).

    @Promoman That was definitely a candidate. That whole series was just ruthless…Mac had Milwaukee’s Big 3, especially Big Dog Robinson so shook, they didn’t even want to guard him.

    @deeds The only clear about the Bradley dunk is that it’s overrated. It just is. Bradley didn’t jump, didn’t contest, was standing under the rim so really had no chance. Looking back now, if I had to do it again, I would take the dunk on Okur over that one.

  11. AllDayEveryday says:

    sick article

  12. ball in my hand says:

    i did not realize that t mac made too many alley ooops to himself. was very thrilled to see them. thnx tmac….

  13. bunscliff says:

    my most FAV CRAPTOR Jersey of all time..

    if you only had the vision like DWADE and LBJ …. you coulda been a king in the NBA with your cousin throwing it down on anyone… you know Vince would have given you the crown of T.O. but your NEGRO’OCITY was too much and you wanted it all by yourself..

    LOOK AT HOW WELL THAT TURNED OUT…
    regardless TMAC… you still made an impact in the NBA…

    just like DRIZZ SAID… I”M JUS SAYIN YOU COULD DO BETTER…

Highschoolhoop
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