“These guys have been criticized the last few years for not getting to where we’re going, but I’ve always said that the most important thing in sports is to keep trying. All rights reserved. Build your custom FanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis on Houston Rockets and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. Get the latest NBA news and analysis on the Lakers, Warriors, Celtics, Knicks, Heat, Clippers, Bucks and the rest of the NBA. He has been compared to younger versions of Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady, called a cross between Zach LaVine (athleticism) and Bradley Beal (shooting), and been featured in several documentaries, including one … The 3rd pick and 9th pick respectively of the 1997 draft, two of the only three all-stars from that draft and clearly two of the top three players all-time behind Tim Duncan, selected that year. NBA All-Time Points Leaders: Career Per Game Average in the Playoffs List with the stats for the top 50 players with the best career points per game average in the Playoffs in NBA history. Hopefully the experience shows the league ways to do things better afterwards than they were done before. Yet as ever, there is a limit to what the league can concede and the grief Karl-Anthony Towns is playing through shows that no player, regardless of their abilities, can stop the machine from mindlessly moving forward. Your privacy is safe with us. Francis retired in 2010 and recently founded the Houston Push, alongside his former teammate Moochie Norris, who will be the GM of the team. So that right there showed me.”. Crazy how revisionist history works. Shaun Patrick Livingston (born September 11, 1985) is an American basketball executive and former player. Former Houston Rockets star Steve Francis shares his frustration with the 2004 trade that saw him dealt to the Orlando Magic for Tracy McGrady. Let this be an example of what it means to say it’s never over.” - Jerry Sloan. Francis went on to play 124 games in Orlando, posting averages of 19.4 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.4 rebounds, before getting moved to the New York Knicks. But long before Harden was moved, the Rockets made another significant trade involving their face of the franchise at the time, Steve Francis, who was named the Co-Rookie of the Year and made three consecutive All-Star appearances. Francis recently joined the Knuckleheads podcast, which is sponsored by the Players Tribune, to open up on the frustrations he had with the trade and how it caught him off guard. And I don’t even like Donald Trump. I mean, in 2004, there probably aren't that many people trading away a 24 year old Tracy McGrady for a 29 year old Steve Nash, right? For every James Harden in the league, there's many more Andre Drummonds. So then the next day, boom I’m on the trade line.”. Blake Griffin has looked like a shell of himself, failing to prop up a young and inexperienced Pistons team. The hypothetical trade scenario as an argument to support McGrady over Billups doesn't make much sense. During his prime he played exactly how a great PG should: controlling the pace, taking shots when he had to, making his team play, played great D, exploited mismatches when he had to (even in the post) and he also came trough with a ton of important shots. The NBA G League will kick-off the 2020-21 season on February 10 in Disney, with a handful of teams—including G League’s Ignite, who have a stacked roster full of NBA Draft … If you had said circa 2001-2003 that Billups (at that point considered a bust) would end up more highly regarded than Mcgrady (at that point was getting next MJ talk) youd get looked at funny. . I use a lot of parentheses when I post (it's a bad habit). I was like if you’re going to trade me, let me know. The business side of sports is one that can often times be cruel for players, as they can be dealt anywhere in a moment’s notice, unless they have a no-trade clause, which is becoming increasingly more common. But there might be a late career role player in there if he can find the right situation. We often hear the phrase “it’s a business” and this about summed it up best, as Francis had just had a home custom-built in Greatwood, which sits in the Houston suburb of Sugarland. Player power is still hard-won and selective. Build your own team now! [Jeff Van Gundy said] No, no, no, no, no. They had no idea McGrady was almost done with his prime and Billups had a lot more left in the tank. Tracy Lamar McGrady Jr. (born May 24, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player, best known for his career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). I’m on vacation, I’m chilling. NBA Players Comparison: Career Stats and Achievements NBA stars' data put side by side with information that includes championships won, honors and awards, Season and Playoffs stats and more. The COVID inflicted NBA season has been a sloppier, more austere, less predictable and ideal product than the one that we're used to. a TS% darling. He really didn’t know too much about basketball so I was like, yo look. Somebody said, ‘Yo you’re about to get traded.’ I was like yeah right, I just talked to Jeff. Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Limited. Fans, you can support your Raptors in style with a variety of Toronto Raptors apparel from the NBA Store. Francis had just concluded his first season with incoming Houston Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy, which culminated in the only postseason appearance of Francis’ career. All content © 2000-2021 RealGM, L.L.C. Tools and Resources Used by Real General Managers. Steve Francis #3 of the Orlando Magic (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images). Why the Rockets should trade Victor Oladipo to the Miami Heat, Houston Rockets: How the Rockets built a top-3 defense, Steve Francis pledges lifelong loyalty to the Rockets, Bruce Arians Ran For More Touchdowns in a Season Than Michael Vick as QB For the Virginia Tech Gobblers, Steve Francis questions why James Harden left Rockets, Houston Rockets: How Kevin Porter Jr. can get to the next level. Get the latest news, stats, videos, highlights and more about guard Michael Jordan on ESPN. 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Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. Sources: Damian Lillard to participate in 3-Point Contest at All-Star Game. Billups and McGrady played together for the Toronto Raptors in '97-'98, after Kenny Anderson refused to report to the Raptors since getting traded away from the Portland Trail Blazers for Damon Stoudamire. Tracy McGrady NBA Salary All NBA Players #0 Tracy McGrady Position:-Born: 05/24/79 Height: 6-8 / 2.03 ... Re-ordering draft classes TV ratings ️ Listen to our podcast Location: Toronto, Canada Team Name: Toronto Raptors Seasons: 26; 1995-96 to 2020-21 Record: 967-1052, .479 W-L% Playoff … And I did MTV Cribs. Statistics are like bikinis. “It was shocking. Complete listing of all NBA Players and team rosters. As things are currently set up, franchises have immense control over what players are allowed to do- where they can work, how they work, what they can say, even what they do in their limited spare time. The Houston Rockets have played their best basketball since the James Harden trade. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital. We'll never pass along your email address to spammers, scammers, or the like. Perhaps now Francis will be able to get a taste of the other side of making a splash trade. Y’all going to trade me now? I’m not leaving, y’all are gonna have to trade me! Location: Toronto, Canada Team Name: Toronto Raptors Seasons: 26; 1995-96 to 2020-21 Record: 968-1052, .479 W-L% Playoff … I had just got a brand new house, my dream house. View player profile, bio, stats, news and video highlights. And they told me the general manager for the Orlando Magic was a hockey guy. The only scenario I would take Billups over T-Mac is when I have to pick a Point Guard. Toronto Raptors Career Leaders. I pulled a Donald Trump. Billiups is super overrated to me. So I was a little torn because I had just finished my house. The shocking part was that I actually talked to the coach that week. Billups. The Draft Review (with Matthew Maurer) brings you a wealth of NBA draft history through its free resource of extensive statistics, biographies, articles, interviews and this live forum. Lillard is third in the league in 3-pointers made (105) while shooting 38% from that range. T-Mac is closer to Duncan than he is Billupe. It was in 2004, I had just built my house. But the players aren’t the only ones that fall victim to the cold nature of the business side of sports, as the fans are often forced to adapt to life without their favorite players, as was the case when the Houston Rockets recently dealt James Harden (at his request). In this exercise, the goal is to draft your ultimate NBA team using a limited amount of budget available. Each player has a price tag so you will have to think carefully about how you choose your players. The Toronto Raptors Shop offers a huge selection of all of your favorite Raptors apparel and gear in sizes and styles for men, women and kids.Shop for your favorite Raptors shirts or Raptors custom apparel to grab personalized gear of your own. Francis posted averages of 19.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 7.6 assists, while shooting 41.2 percent from three during the Rockets 2004 opening round series against the Los Angeles Lakers. Toronto Raptors Draft Picks. Here are three eye-opening statistics that show how they've done it. I talked to my pastor and he was like, look man, it’s a business. Shortly after the series concluded, Francis was shipped away to the Orlando Magic for Tracy McGrady, in a move that Francis didn’t see coming. 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