Former NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady, a year removed from his last NBA game, made his professional baseball debut on Saturday pitching for the independent-league Sugar Land Skeeters.
The man who used to score 30 and 40 points in a basketball game with relative ease struggled mightily on the baseball diamond as he threw 35 pitches, netting 18 strikes and 17 balls and allowing two runs during his time on the field, per AP. His ERA is now at 10.80 as he begins his career as a baseball player.
Before becoming a basketball prodigy, the 6-foot-8 McGrady played football in high school. He eventually fell in love with basketball and was one of the first high school phenoms to join the NBA with the likes of current Lakers star Kobe Bryant and Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Garnett.
Despite being a seven-time All-Star and two-time scoring champion, McGrady failed to win a title in the NBA as his teams were often bounced out of the first round. He last played for the San Antonio Spurs last season, and the team was memorably within seconds away from the 2013 title until the Miami Heat forced an overtime in Game Six before winning it, and eventually winning the hard-fought series in seven games.
The 34-year old McGrady is hoping to make a splash in baseball after basketball, reminiscent of another NBA legend Michael Jordan. However, like the Hall of Famer, it appears that McGrady's baseball skills pale a lot in comparison with his basketball talents.
Will McGrady's play in the indy league improve? Tell us @SportsWN.
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