1/8/2005
Just two days after New Jersey Nets guard Vince Carter admitted to not working hard enough in Toronto, cousin and former Raptors teammate Tracy McGrady has also confessed to doing the same.
In a feature story from this week's Sports Illustrated, the Rockets' guard admitted that he was so defeated mentally from losing with his former team the Orlando Magic, that "some nights I did slack off" and added that, "I'm not going to sit here and say I played my hardest every night."
McGrady also said he did not trust his teammates from last season's 21-61 team and that part of his motivation in leading the NBA in scoring was to protect his image as one of the league's top players.
"Some nights I did slack off - and I knew that was a terrible thing to do - and I still was slacking off," McGrady told the magazine.
"That feels so bad. And I'm the leader, these guys are following my lead, so the whole team suffers even worse. That was wrong. Now, I would do it differently. I learned. I have to bust my butt no matter what. Last year was the worst experience of my life. And I learned. And believe me, I'm grateful for this opportunity here (Houston)."
McGrady was traded to the Rockets along with Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue and Reece Gaines in June for Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato.
Though the Magic started last season 1-19 and never recovered, the former Raptor managed to lead the NBA in scoring for a second straight season, averaging 28 points a game.
In a televised interview with TNT NBA analyst John Thompson on Thursday, Carter admitted that he did not push himself as hard as he should have in Toronto. Despite admitting he didn't always try very hard, Carter added that it often bothered him that people questioned his competitiveness.
TSN.ca
Just two days after New Jersey Nets guard Vince Carter admitted to not working hard enough in Toronto, cousin and former Raptors teammate Tracy McGrady has also confessed to doing the same.
In a feature story from this week's Sports Illustrated, the Rockets' guard admitted that he was so defeated mentally from losing with his former team the Orlando Magic, that "some nights I did slack off" and added that, "I'm not going to sit here and say I played my hardest every night."
McGrady also said he did not trust his teammates from last season's 21-61 team and that part of his motivation in leading the NBA in scoring was to protect his image as one of the league's top players.
"Some nights I did slack off - and I knew that was a terrible thing to do - and I still was slacking off," McGrady told the magazine.
"That feels so bad. And I'm the leader, these guys are following my lead, so the whole team suffers even worse. That was wrong. Now, I would do it differently. I learned. I have to bust my butt no matter what. Last year was the worst experience of my life. And I learned. And believe me, I'm grateful for this opportunity here (Houston)."
McGrady was traded to the Rockets along with Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue and Reece Gaines in June for Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato.
Though the Magic started last season 1-19 and never recovered, the former Raptor managed to lead the NBA in scoring for a second straight season, averaging 28 points a game.
In a televised interview with TNT NBA analyst John Thompson on Thursday, Carter admitted that he did not push himself as hard as he should have in Toronto. Despite admitting he didn't always try very hard, Carter added that it often bothered him that people questioned his competitiveness.
TSN.ca