In this segment of The Draymond Green Show, host Colin Cowherd interviews former NBA star Tracy McGrady about his high‑school basketball journey and the recruiting process that almost led him to the University of Kentucky. They reminisce about the legendary ABCD Camp, describe McGrady’s visits to Kentucky’s campus—including the Wildcat Lounge and the allure of fully‑loaded team buses— and explain how an Adidas sponsorship ultimately swayed his decision away from college. McGrady recounts his mother’s reaction to his secret commitment, her subsequent visit to the campus, and the tension it created at home. The conversation shifts to McGrady’s reflections on missing the college experience, especially the camaraderie of March Madness and alumni pride, and his pragmatic view of bypassing college for a lucrative NBA contract. Throughout, the tone remains conversational and nostalgic, with moments of enthusiasm for Kentucky’s program and a pragmatic, sometimes blunt, attitude toward the financial realities of a professional career.
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Hi, it's Colin Cowherd. I started The Volume to bring you some of the most authentic voices in sports. While you're here, make sure you hit subscribe. Thanks. That's incredible. I think the kids of today, they don't know about ABCD Camp, man.
No, no.
And it's crazy because I always wanted to get invited to ABCD Camp and I never received the invite. So I'm still waiting to be 175.
Actually, I think they bringing it back too.
Really?
Yeah, yeah.
I think Draymond Green got it. Oh, that's great. That's great. And so you then, you go on from there and you consider going to Kentucky?
Bro, listen. So I went and took a couple visits, right? And I think Kentucky was my last one that I took. And Derrick Anderson was my host that played in the league. I went up to Kentucky, man, and— saw how them kids, them dudes was living, I was like, "Oh my God, the players' lounge." They driving fully loaded Eddie Bauers. You know, and Kentucky's already—
Draymond Green.
You know, it's already basketball heaven in Kentucky. So I'm like, "Man." But yeah, I was initially going to Kentucky until Adidas came to the table with that big deal.
That's incredible. You know what's funny about that is, My junior year of high school, my high school coach played for Tubby Smith when Tubby was coaching at Tulsa back in the day.
Yeah.
So my junior year of high school, Tubby was still at Kentucky. We went, we drove down for an unofficial visit and we went to the game. They were actually ironically, they were playing Florida. And this is Joe Kim Noah, Torian Green, Corey Brewer. Like this Florida, Florida.
Yeah.
When I tell, we walked into the arena and College GameDay was there. We walked into the arena and we're standing next to each other. And in order to hear each other talk, this is just walking into the arena. The game's not, it's an hour before the game. It's so loud. We're yelling in each other ear, like yelling to the top of our lungs in each other ears.
Yeah.
I couldn't believe it. We watched the game, stayed overnight, got a chance to see the Wildcat Lounge and all that stuff. I committed the next day. My mom had no idea I committed. No, I knew. So they got you too. Absolutely. I knew I was doing something wrong because when I got home, you know, I just committed to Kentucky. Like that was a big deal. When I got home, I never said a word to my mom. Like, "Ma, I committed to Kentucky." I didn't say a word. My mom is like, before Instagram and all this stuff, my mom is the person like on them blogs that's just like subject after subject. Going crazy. And my mom saw on the blog that I had committed to Kentucky. My mom didn't talk to me for a week and a half.
Yeah.
Then finally after that week and a half, she went down to Kentucky herself. And she went to visit and she came back. She hadn't spoke to me, hadn't said a word to me. I mean, we passing each other like these ships in the night in the house. And she came back and she said, Don't ever do anything else like that again. I understand why you committed there. I understand.
Listen, man, it was very impressive, you know.
Yeah.
Being on that campus and witnessing that as a 17-year-old kid, I was blown away. I was like, I can't see anything greater than this. You know what I'm saying? And I was like, This is where I'm going. This is where I'm going. And until Adidas came to the table, like that's where I was going. But that's my adopted school. You know, I still suck it these days, watch 'em. But yeah, man, I missed out on that.
Do you have any regrets of not going to school as opposed to going straight to the league?
You know what? I used to get that question a lot when I was playing. 'Cause all my teammates would be, especially during March Madness, they representing their alma maters. And I think that's really the only time that I felt it. You know what I'm saying? 'Cause I felt left out like, damn, I don't really have no dog in this fight. And I just see all the love and the trash talking that's going back and forth, especially when you got two guys from the same alma mater and they playing in the tournament. This is wild shit talk, you know what I'm saying? I miss out on that 'cause I love that. But that's really the only time that I felt it. Other than that, nah. I mean, it's, you know, I wasn't a school type dude anyway, sitting in fucking classrooms and writing papers. Man, fuck that, man. You got $12 million? Are you gonna sit here in these classrooms, waking up early in the morning, attending class? Nah, let me go get these $12 million and compete against the greatest in the world.
I respect that. I always, talk shit to Jermaine O'Neal. That's my brother. You know, absolutely. Who's one of my vets. I played with J-O my second year in the league, took me under his wing a lot like Jared Jackson my first year, took me under his wing, showed me the way. We still tight like this to this day. But I used to always talk junk to J-O around that time. Like, yeah, J-O, them Spartan dogs coming. And he like, ah, this J-O, ah, fuck that. "Yo, I went to university cash. I came and got this money. I went to university cash." I'm like, "J-O, guess what? We all getting money now." And I got a chance to experience college. Yeah.
