Coordinates: 37°42′N 112°24′E / 37.7°N 112.4°E / 37.7; 112.4

Shanxi Province
Chinese : 山西省 Shānxī Shěng
Abbreviations: simplified Chinese: 晋; traditional Chinese: 晉  (pinyin: Jìn)
Origin of name	山 shān - mountain 西 xī - west "west of the Taihang Mountains"
Administration type	Province
Capital (and largest city)	Taiyuan
CPC Ctte Secretary	Yuan Chunqing
Governor	Wang Jun
Area	156,800 km2 (60,500 sq mi) (19th)
- Latitude	34° 35' to 40° 44' N
- Longitude	110° 13' to 114° 33' E
Population (2010)  - Density	35,712,111 (18th) 213 /km2 (550 /sq mi) (19th)
GDP (2011)  - per capita	CNY 1110.0 billion US$ 176.2 billion (21st) CNY 26,283 US$ 3,883 (17th)
HDI (2008)	0.800 (high) (14th)
Ethnic composition	Han - 99.7% Hui - 0.2%
Languages and dialects	{{{Dialects}}}
Prefectural level	11 divisions
County level	119 divisions
Township level*	1388 divisions
ISO 3166-2	CN-14
Official website www.shanxigov.cn (Chinese)
Source for population and GDP data: 《中国统计年鉴—2005》 China Statistical Yearbook 2005 ISBN 7503747382 Source for nationalities data: 《2000年人口普查中国民族人口资料》 Tabulation on nationalities of 2000 population census of China ISBN 7105054255 *As at December 31, 2004
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 Shanxi (help·info) (Chinese: 山西; pinyin: Shānxī; Wade–Giles: Shan-hsi; Postal map spelling: Shansi) is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" (pinyin: Jìn), after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period.

The name Shanxi literally means "mountain's west", which refers to the province's location west of the Taihang Mountains.^[1] Shanxi borders Hebei to the east, Henan to the south, Shaanxi to the west, and Inner Mongolia to the north and is made up mainly of a plateau bounded partly by mountain ranges. The capital of the province is Taiyuan.

History[link]

Shanxi, the territory of state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn Period (722 BC - 403 BC), underwent a three-way split into the states of Han, Zhao and Wei in 403 BC, the traditional date taken as the start of the Warring States Period (403 BC - 221 BC). By 221 BC all of these states had fallen to the state of Qin, which established the Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 206 BC).

The Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220) ruled Shanxi as the province (zhou) of Bingzhou (幷州 Bīng Zhōu). During the invasion of northern nomads during the Sixteen Kingdoms period (304 - 439), several regimes including Later Zhao, Former Yan, Former Qin, and Later Yan continuously controlled what is now Shanxi. They were followed by Northern Wei (386 - 534), a Xianbei kingdom, which had one of its earlier capitals at present-day Datong in northern Shanxi, and which went on to rule nearly all of northern China.

The Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) originated in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. Modern Chinese people are called Tang Ren globally due to the power and impact of the Tang Dynasty in history. During the Tang Dynasty and after, the area was called Hédōng (河東), or "east of the (Yellow) river". Empress Wu Zetian, China's only female ruler, was born in Shanxi Province.

During the first part of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period (907 - 960), Shanxi supplied rule for three of the Five Dynasties, as well as being the only one of the Ten Kingdoms located in northern China. Shanxi was initially home to the jiedushi (commander) of Hedong, Li Cunxu, who overthrew the first of the Five Dynasties, Later Liang Dynasty (907 - 923) to establish the second, Later Tang Dynasty (923 - 936). Another jiedushi of Hedong, Shi Jingtang, overthrew Later Tang to establish the third of the Five Dynasties, Later Jin Dynasty, and yet another jiedushi of Hedong, Liu Zhiyuan, established the fourth of the Five Dynasties (Later Han Dynasty) after the Khitans destroyed Later Jin, the third. Finally, when the fifth of the Five Dynasties (Later Zhou Dynasty) emerged, the jiedushi of Hedong at the time, Liu Chong, rebelled and established an independent state called Northern Han, one of the Ten Kingdoms, in what is now northern and central Shanxi.

Shi Jingtang, founder of the Later Jin Dynasty, the third of the Five Dynasties, ceded a large slice of northern China to the Khitans in return for military assistance. This territory, called The Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, included a part of northern Shanxi. The ceded territory became a major problem for China's defense against the Khitans for the next 100 years, because it lies to the south of the Great Wall.

During the Northern Song Dynasty (960 - 1127), the sixteen ceded prefectures continued to be an area of contention between Song China and the Liao Dynasty. Later the Southern Song Dynasty abandoned all of North China to the Jurchen Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) in 1127, including Shanxi.

The Mongol Yuan Dynasty divided China into provinces but did not establish Shanxi as a province. Shanxi only gained its present name and approximate borders in the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). During the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), Shanxi extended northwards beyond the Great Wall to include parts of Inner Mongolia, including what is now the city of Hohhot, and overlapped with the jurisdiction of the Eight Banners and the Guihua Tümed banner in that area.

During most of the Republic of China's period of rule over mainland China (1912–1949), the warlord Yen Hsi-shan held Shanxi, regardless of the frequent political upheavals shaking the rest of China. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Japan occupied much of the province after defeating China in the Battle of Taiyuan. Shanxi was also a major battlefield between the Japanese and the Chinese communist guerrillas of the Eighth Route Army during the war.

After the defeat of Japan, much of the Shanxi countryside became important bases for the communist People's Liberation Army in the ensuing Chinese Civil War. Yen had incorporated thousands of former Japanese soldiers among his own forces, and these soldiers became part of his failed defense of Taiyuan against the People's Liberation Army in early 1949.

For centuries Shanxi served as the center of trade and banking, with the term "Shanxi Merchant" (晋商 jìnshāng) once synonymous with wealth. The well-preserved city of Pingyao in Shanxi also shows many signs of its former dominance as a center of trade and banking. Due to Shanxi's geographic location in the Great China and its natural environment, Shanxi was the richest province in Zhongyuan or Center China. In the Qing Dynasty, Pingyao served as the centre of Chinese banking industry. This county, in contemporary time, is famous for its UNESCO ancient city walls and ancient China's equivalent of modern day Wall Street for its financial importance in history. In modern times, coal mining is important in Shanxi's economy, but severe critics have complained of deplorable mine conditions. Since 2004 the province has been plagued with labour safety issues, including a slave labour scandal involving children, causing significant civil unrest and national embarrassment.

Geography[link]

Shanxi is located on a plateau made up of higher ground to the east (Taihang Mountains) and the west (Lüliang Mountains) and a series of valleys in the center through which the Fen River runs. The highest peak is Mount Wutai (Wutai Shan) in northeastern Shanxi with an altitude of 3058 m. The Great Wall of China forms most of the northern border with Inner Mongolia. The Zhongtiao Mountains run along part of the southern border and separate Shanxi from the east-west part of the Yellow River. Mount Hua is to the southwest.

The Huang He (Yellow River) forms the western border of Shanxi with Shaanxi. The Fen and Qin rivers, tributaries of the Huang He, run north-to-south through the province, and drain much of its area. The north of the province is drained by tributaries of the Hai River, such as Sanggan and Hutuo rivers. The largest natural lake in Shanxi is Xiechi Lake, a salt lake near Yuncheng in southwestern Shanxi.

Shanxi has a continental monsoon climate, and is rather arid. Average January temperatures are below 0 °C, while average July temperatures are around 21 - 26 °C. Winters are long, dry, and cold, while summer is warm and humid. Spring is extremely dry and prone to dust storms. Shanxi is one of the sunniest parts of China; early summer heat waves are common. Annual precipitation averages around 350–700 mm, with 60% of it concentrated between June and August. [2]

Major cities:

• Taiyuan
• Datong
• Changzhi
• Yangquan

Administrative divisions[link]

Shanxi is divided into eleven prefecture-level divisions, all of them prefecture-level cities:

Map	#	Name	Administrative Seat	Hanzi Hanyu Pinyin	Population (2010)
	— Prefecture-level city —
	1	Taiyuan	Xinghualing District	太原市 Tàiyuán Shì	4,201,591
	2	Changzhi	Chengqu District	长治市 Chángzhì Shì	3,334,564
	3	Datong	Chengqu District	大同市 Dàtóng Shì	3,318,057
	4	Jincheng	Chengqu District	晋城市 Jìnchéng Shì	2,279,151
	5	Jinzhong	Yuci District	晋中市 Jìnzhōng Shì	3,249,425
	6	Linfen	Yaodu District	临汾市 Línfén Shì	4,316,612
	7	Lüliang	Lishi District	吕梁市 Lǚliáng Shì	3,727,057
	8	Shuozhou	Shuocheng District	朔州市 Shuòzhōu Shì	1,714,857
	9	Xinzhou	Xinfu District	忻州市 Xīnzhōu Shì	3,067,501
	10	Yangquan	Chengqu District	阳泉市 Yángquán Shì	1,368,502
	11	Yuncheng	Yanhu District	运城市 Yùnchéng Shì	5,134,794

The 11 prefecture-level divisions of Shanxi are subdivided into 119 county-level divisions (23 districts, 11 county-level cities, and 85 counties). Those are in turn divided into 1388 township-level divisions (561 towns, 634 townships, and 193 subdistricts).

Politics[link]

The Politics of Shanxi Province is structured in a dual party-government system like all other governing institutions in mainland China.^{[citation needed]}

The Governor of Shanxi (山西省省长) is the highest ranking official in the People's Government of Shanxi. However, in the province's dual party-government governing system, the Governor has less power than the Shanxi Communist Party of China Provincial Committee Secretary (山西省委书记), colloquially termed the "Shanxi CPC Party Chief".

The province went through significant political instability since 2004, due largely to the number of scandals that have hit the province, mostly on labour safety. Yu Youjun and Meng Xuenong were top officials appointed by the central government to resolve sensitive issues as the province's party boss. However, the situation has, by and large, deteriorated during their tenures in office. As a result both Yu and Meng were forced to relocate themselves to relatively insignificant positions elsewhere in the country. In 2008 Shanxi's regional political problems were complicated by the death of Political Consultative Conference Chair Jin Yinhuan due to a car accident.

Economy[link]

The GDP per capita of Shanxi is below national average. Compared to the provinces in East China, Shanxi is less developed for many reasons. Its geographic location limits it participation in international trade, which involves mostly eastern coastal provinces. Important crops in Shanxi include wheat, maize, millet, legumes, and potatoes. The local climate and dwindling water resources limits agriculture in Shanxi.^[2]

Shanxi possesses 260 billion metric tons of known coal deposits, about one third of China's total. As a result, Shanxi is a leading producer of coal in China and has more coal companies than any other province,^[3], with an annual production exceeding 300 million metric tonnes. The Datong (大同), Ningwu (宁武), Xishan (西山), Hedong (河东), Qinshui (沁水), and Huoxi (霍西) coalfields are some of the most important in Shanxi. Shanxi also contains about 500 million tonnes of bauxite deposits, about one third of total Chinese bauxite reserves.^[4][5]

Industry in Shanxi is centered around heavy industries such as coal and chemical production, power generation, and metal refining.^{[citation needed]} There are countless military-related industries in Shanxi Province due to its geographic location and history when it is used to be the base of the Chinese Communist Party and the People's Liberation Army. Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre, one of China's three satellite launch centers, is located in the middle of Shanxi Province with China's largest stockpile of nuclear missiles.

Many private corporations joint with the state-owned mining corporations have invested billions of dollars in the Mining Industry of Shanxi Province. Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing has made one of his largest investment ever in China on exploiting coal gas in Shanxi. Foreign investors include mining companies from Canada, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy.^{[citation needed]}

The mining related companies include Daqin Railway Co. Ltd., which runs one of the busiest and most technologically advanced railway in China connecting Datong and Qinhuangdao and exclusively for coal shipping.^{[citation needed]} The revenue of Daqin Railway Co. Ltd. is among the highest in Shanxi Province's companies due to its exporting of coal to Japan, Korea, and South-East Asia.

Shanxi's nominal GDP in 2011 was 1110.0 billion yuan (US$176.2 billion), ranked 21st in China. Its per-capita GDP was 21,544 yuan (US$3,154).^[6]

Shanxi is infamous for bad working conditions in coal mining and other heavy industries. Thousands of workers have died every year in those industries. Cases of child labour abuse were discovered recently.^[7][8]

In contrast with the poverty, Shanxi is known for its wealthy mine owners in China.^{[citation needed]} Consortiums of mine owners from Shanxi have influences in Beijing's real estate market because of their speculation. The only other wealth group in China having the same influence is the entrepreneurs from Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province which is the centre of light industry of China and the world.^{[citation needed]}

Industrial zones[link]

• Taiyuan Economic & Technology Development Zone

Taiyuan Economic & Technology Development Zone is a state-level development zone approved by State Council in 2001, with a planned area of 9.6 km². It is only 2 km away from Taiyuan Airport and 3 km away from railway station. The National Highway 208 and 307 passes through the zone. So far, it has formed a "four industrial base, a professional industry park" development pattern.^[9]

• Taiyuan Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone

Established in 1991, Taiyuan Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone is the only state-level Hi-tech Development Zone in Shanxi Province, with total area of 24 km². It is situated close to Taiyuan Wusu Airport and Highway G208. The nearest port to the zone is Tianjin Port.^[10]

Transportation[link]

The transport infrastructure in Shanxi is very developed. There are many important national highways and railways that connect the province with neighboring provinces.^[11]

Road[link]

Shanxi's road hub is in the capital, Taiyuan. The major highways in province form a road network connecting all the counties. Examples of major highways are:

• Dayun Highway(大運公路)
• Datong-Yuncheng Highway (大同－運城）)
• Taiyuan-Jiuguan Expressway (太原－舊關高速公路)
• Beijing-Shijiazhuang expressway (北京－石家庄高速公路)
• Beijing-Tianjin-Tanggu expressway (京津唐高速公路)
• Beijing-Shenzhen expressway

Rail[link]

Shanxi has extensive rail infrastructure to neighboring provinces. The rail network connects to major cities Taiyuan, Shijiazhuang, Beijing, Yuanping, Baotou, Datong, Menyuan and Jiaozuo. The province also have extensive rail network to coastal cities such as Qinhuangdao, Qingdao, Yantai and Lianyungang.^[11]

The province has a rail network called the Shuozhou-Huanghua Railway. It will service Shenchi county in Shanxi with Huanghua port in Hebei. It will become the second largest railway for coal transport from west to east in China.^[12]

Aviation[link]

Shanxi's main aviation transport hub is Taiyuan Wusu Airport (IATA: TYN). The airport has routes connecting Shanxi to 28 domestic cities including Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu and Chongqing. There are international routes to Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and Russia. There is also another airport in Datong, which has domestic routes to other mainland cities.^[11][13]

Demographics[link]

The population is mostly Han Chinese with minorities of Mongol, Manchu, and the Hui.

Source: Department of Population, Social, Science and Technology Statistics of the National Bureau of Statistics of China (国家统计局人口和社会科技统计司) and Department of Economic Development of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission of China (国家民族事务委员会经济发展司), eds. Tabulation on Nationalities of 2000 Population Census of China (《2000年人口普查中国民族人口资料》). 2 vols. Beijing: Nationalities Publishing House (民族出版社), 2003. (ISBN 7-105-05425-5)

In 2004, the birth rate was 12.36 births/1000 population, while the death rate was 6.11 deaths/1000 population. The sex ratio was 105.5 males/100 females. [3]

Health[link]

In the 2000s, the province was considered to be one of the most polluted areas in China.^[3] The pollution, caused in part by heavy coal mining, has enhanced health problems in the province.^[14]

Culture[link]

The Pagoda of Fogong Temple, Ying County, built in the year 1056.

People in most regions of Shanxi speak dialects of Jin, a subdivision of spoken Chinese. However, dialects in the southwest, near the border with Henan and Shaanxi, are classified as part of the Zhongyuan Mandarin subdivision of the Mandarin group rather than Jin. In terms of characteristics, Jin dialects are generally distinguished by their retention of the entering tone from Middle Chinese. In this respect they are unique in all of northern China, as most of the surrounding Mandarin dialects (spoken over the remainder of northern China) have lost it. (In central and southern China, it is much more common for the entering tone to be kept.) Jin is also noted for extremely complex tone sandhi systems.

Shanxi cuisine is most well known for its extensive use of vinegar as a condiment and for its noodles. A dish originating from Taiyuan, the provincial capital, is the Taiyuan Tounao (太原头脑, literally "Taiyuan Head"). It is a soup brewed using mutton, shanyao (山药, Chinese wild yam), lotus roots, astragalus membranaceus (黄芪, membranous milk vetch), tuber onions, as well as cooking liquor for additional aroma. It can be enjoyed by dipping pieces of unleavened cake into the soup, and is reputed to have medicinal properties.

Shanxi Opera (晋剧 Jinju) is a popular form of Chinese opera in Shanxi. It was popularized during the late Qing Dynasty, with the help of the then-ubiquitous Shanxi merchants who were active across parts of China. Also called Zhonglu Bangzi (中路梆子), it is a type of bangzi opera (梆子), a group of operas generally distinguished by their use of wooden clappers for rhythm and by a more energetic singing style; Shanxi opera is also complemented by quzi (曲子), a blanket term for more melodic styles from further south. Puzhou Opera (蒲剧 Puju), from southern Shanxi, is a more ancient type of bangzi that makes use of very wide linear intervals.

Shanxi merchants (晋商 Jinshang) constituted a historical phenomenon that lasted for centuries from the Song to the Qing Dynasty. Shanxi merchants ranged far and wide from Central Asia to the coast of eastern China; by the Qing Dynasty they were conducting trade across both sides of the Great Wall. During the late Qing Dynasty, a new development occurred: the creation of piaohao (票号), which were essentially banks that provided services like money transfers and transactions, deposits, and loans. After the establishment of the first piaohao in Pingyao, the bankers in Shanxi dominated China's financial market for centuries until the collapse of Qing Dynasty and the coming of British banks.

Tourism[link]

A Pingyao street.

• Jinci in Taiyuan, famous for its temples and Song Dynasty paintings and architectures.

• Zuoquan County, famous for its China Communist Party battlefield sites.

• The Ancient City of Pingyao is a World Heritage Site near Taiyuan. Once a great financial center of China, it is noted for its preservation of many features of northern Han Chinese culture, architecture, and way of life during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

• The Yungang Grottoes, its literal translation being The Cloud Ridge Caves, are shallow caves near Datong. There are over 50,000 carved images and statues of Buddhas and Boddhisatvas within these grottoes, ranging from 4 centimeters to 7 meters tall.a World Heritage Site in Datong, consist of 252 caves noted for their collection of 5th and 6th century Buddhist grotto sculptures and reliefs.

• Mount Wutai (Wutai Shan) is the highest point in the province. It is known as the residence of the bodhisattva Manjusri, and as a result is also a major Buddhist pilgrimage destination, with many temples and natural sights. Points of interest include Tang Dynasty (618–907) era timber halls located at Nanchan Temple and Foguang Temple, as well as a giant white stupa at Tayuan Temple built during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).

• Mount Hengshan (Heng Shan), in Hunyuan County, is one of the "Five Great Peaks" of China, and is also a major Taoist site. Not far from Heng Shan, the Hanging Temple is located on the side of a cliff and has survived for 1400 years despite earthquakes in the area.

• Pagoda of Fogong Temple, in Ying County, is a pagoda built in 1056 during the Liao Dynasty. It is octagonal with nine levels (five are visible from outside), and at 67 m (220 ft) in height, it is currently the tallest wooden pagoda in the world. It is also the oldest fully wooden pagoda in China, although many no-longer-existing wooden pagodas have preceded it, and many existing stone and brick pagodas predate it by centuries.

• Hukou Waterfall is located in the Yellow River on the Shanxi-Shaanxi border. At 50 meters high it is the second highest waterfall in China.

• Dazhai is a village in Xiyang County. Situated in hilly, difficult terrain, it was a holy site during the Cultural Revolution, when it was set out to the entire nation as exemplary of the hardiness of the proletariat, especially peasants.
• Niangziguan Township is located in north-east of Pingding County which is in the junction of Shanxi and Heibei Province. It is an old village famous for Niangziguan.

Education[link]

Major Post-Secondary institutes in Shanxi include:

• Changzhi College (长治学院)
• Changzhi Medical College (长治医学院)
• Datong University (山西大同大学)
• Jinzhong College (晋中学院)
• Lvliang Higher College
• North China University of Science and Technology (华北工学院)
• Shanxi Agricultural University (山西农业大学)
• Shanxi College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (山西中医学院)
• Shanxi Medical University (山西医科大学)
• Shanxi Teachers University also called Shanxi Normal University (山西师范大学)
• Shanxi University (山西大学)
• Shanxi University of Finance and Economics (山西财经大学)
• North China University (中北大学)
• Taiyuan Normal University (太原师范学院)
• Taiyuan University of Science and Technology (太原科技大学)
• Taiyuan University of Technology (太原理工大学)
• Xinzhou Teachers University (忻州师范学院)
• Yuncheng University (运城学院)

Major Secondary Schools in Shanxi include:

• Taiyuan No.5 High school
• Taiyuan No.10 High school
• Shanxi Experimental Secondary School(山西省实验中学)
• Yuci No.1 High School
• Kangjie High School (康杰中学)

References[link]

• Economic profile for Shanxi at HKTDC

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Shanxi

• Shanxi Government website
• Shanxi travel guide from Wikitravel
• Shanxi Community in Canada website
• Shanxi Community in Japan website

		Inner Mongolia
	Shaanxi		Hebei
		Shanxi    East
		Henan

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Tracy McGrady

Tracy McGrady during his tenure with the Rockets.
No. 1 – Atlanta Hawks
Shooting guard/Small forward
Personal information
Born	(1979-05-24) May 24, 1979 (age 33) Bartow, Florida
Nationality	American
High school	Auburndale High School (Auburndale, Florida) Mount Zion Christian Academy (Durham, North Carolina)
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	1997 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9th overall
Selected by the Toronto Raptors
Pro career	1997–present
Career history
1997–2000	Toronto Raptors
2000–2004	Orlando Magic
2004–2010	Houston Rockets
2010	New York Knicks
2010–2011	Detroit Pistons
2011–present	Atlanta Hawks
Career highlights and awards
NBA Most Improved Player (2001) 7× NBA All-Star (2001–2007) 2× NBA Scoring Champion (2003–2004) 2× All-NBA First Team (2002–2003) 3× All-NBA Second Team (2001, 2004, 2007) 2× All-NBA Third Team (2005, 2008)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Tracy Lamar McGrady, Jr. (born May 24, 1979) is an American professional basketball player with the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA.

Entering the league after graduating from high school, McGrady eventually became a seven-time All-Star. He led the league in scoring in 2003 and 2004. He has also played for the Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, and Detroit Pistons. McGrady was ranked on SLAM Magazine's "Top 75 Players of All-Time" in 2003. McGrady's style of play has been compared to that of George Gervin.^[1]

Early years[link]

Tracy McGrady played high school basketball at Auburndale High School in Auburndale, Florida for three years. He then transferred to Mount Zion Christian Academy, in Durham, North Carolina. McGrady created a national buzz after his performance in the Adidas ABCD Camp, where the best high school players in the U.S. are invited annually. He was named High School Player of the Year by USA Today. McGrady has stated that if he had not gone straight to the NBA from high school, he would have attended Kentucky.^[2]

NBA career[link]

Toronto Raptors (1997–2000)[link]

McGrady was drafted ninth overall in the first round of the 1997 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors.

In McGrady's first two seasons with the Raptors, he averaged less than 10 points per game, mainly coming off the bench. In his second season, he began playing alongside his third cousin, Vince Carter. The 1999–2000 season was McGrady's first breakout season in the NBA. He was a starter in 34 games out of 79, averaging 15.4 points per game, and a career-high 1.9 blocks per game. McGrady also competed in the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest, finishing third, behind Carter and Steve Francis.

In 2000, the duo of McGrady and Carter helped lead the Raptors to the playoffs, for the first time in franchise history. However, the team was swept 3–0 by the New York Knicks in the first round. McGrady was often overshadowed by Carter during his time in Toronto, and he became a free agent in the summer of 2000. In the off-season, he expressed interest in playing for family and friends in his home state of Florida.

Orlando Magic (2000–2004)[link]

On August 3, 2000, McGrady was dealt to the Orlando Magic in a sign-and-trade deal for a first round pick. In Orlando, he played alongside Grant Hill, who had been acquired that summer in hope of bringing Orlando back among the Eastern Conference's elite teams. However, an ankle injury limited Hill to only 4 games and McGrady became the leader and 1st scoring option of the team. For the first time in his career McGrady was selected as an All-Star when he was voted by the fans to start in the midseason classic for the Eastern Conference. At season's end he was presented with the 2001 NBA Most Improved Player Award. Even though McGrady had elevated his game from solid contributor to star, the Magic were ousted in the first round of the playoffs by the Milwaukee Bucks.

The following season, McGrady continued his great play. With Hill struggling with injuries, the Magic were once again a one-man show. He made his second All-Star team and First Team All-NBA while averaging 26 points per game. The Magic posted a 44–38 record for the year but they were beat again in the first round of the playoffs, this time by the Charlotte Hornets.

In the 2002–03 season, McGrady averaged 32.1 points per game and captured the NBA scoring title, becoming the youngest player to do so since the ABA-NBA merger. Despite McGrady's personal accolades, the Magic failed to reach the second round of the playoffs. In a rather infamous moment, during the 2003 NBA Playoffs, the Magic (who were an #8 seed) surprisingly took a 3–1 series lead against the heavily favored #1 seed Detroit Pistons. Prior to the fifth game in Detroit, McGrady was quoted as saying that how wonderful it was to "finally be in the position to advance to the second round (of the playoffs)". Orlando, however, lost Games 5, 6, and 7 by an average of more than 20 points, and Detroit advanced to the second round.

In the 2003–04 season, he once again captured the NBA scoring title, averaging 28 points per game, and set a career high with 62 points against the Washington Wizards at the TD Waterhouse Centre on March 10, 2004. With this performance, he became the fourth player in the past 12 years to score over 60 points in a game.

Houston Rockets (2004–2010)[link]

In 2004, McGrady joined the Houston Rockets.

On June 29, 2004, McGrady, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue, and Reece Gaines were traded to the Houston Rockets in a seven-player deal that sent Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley, and Kelvin Cato to the Magic. Though it was initially viewed as a fair trade by spectators, it has since been looked at as one of the more lopsided trades in NBA history, as McGrady was selected to multiple All-Star games while Orlando traded Francis after less than two seasons.^[3] In his first year with the Houston Rockets, McGrady teamed with 7' 6" center Yao Ming, to form one of the more potent duos in the Western Conference.

The Rockets first season with McGrady started off slowly as they struggled to find a compatible point guard to play with McGrady's skill set in the backcourt. The solution was found when Bob Sura, who was returning from an injury, played well enough to earn the starting PG job. The Rockets traded Tyronn Lue for Jon Barry for 3-point shooting off the bench. The Rockets also acquired David Wesley from the Hornets to bolster their backcourt defense, particularly on smaller guards. With these new trades, McGrady was moved to SF, with a starting lineup of Bob Sura, David Wesley, Juwan Howard, and Yao Ming. The Rockets then ran the offense through McGrady, utilized the inside game of Yao, and used the perimeter game of Howard's baseline jumper and 3-point shooting effectively. On December 9, 2004, he scored 13 points in the last 35 seconds of a game against the San Antonio Spurs, with four consecutive 3 pointers (one of which was part of a four-point play), including a steal and the game-winning 3 pointer with 1.7 seconds left in the game that helped the Rockets win 81–80.^[4][5] The Rockets finished the 2004–05 season 51–31 as the 5th seed in the playoffs.

McGrady shooting over Wizards guard Deshawn Stevenson.

Despite McGrady's stellar play in the first round of the 2005 NBA Playoffs where he averaged 30.7 ppg, 6.7 apg, and 7.4 rpg, Houston was eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in game seven by 40 points, despite having a 2–0 lead to start the series. McGrady missed 6 of his first 7 shots in Game 7 and the Rockets were never able to match the intensity of the Dallas Mavericks. McGrady's signature moment in the Dallas playoffs series was in Game 2, where he blew past Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki and dunked over Dallas center Shawn Bradley, who is 7' 6". In that game, McGrady also hit the game winner for a 113-111 win.

In the early 2005–06 season, McGrady missed eight games because of multiple back spasms. His back problems resurfaced on January 8, 2006 when he had to be taken out at halftime in a game against the Denver Nuggets on a stretcher to the hospital because of severe back spasms. He had been out for five games. Since his return, the spasms have still been a problem for McGrady. In the 2005–06 season the Rockets were 2–15 in games he did not play in and 2–16 in games McGrady did not finish. While McGrady was injured for five games with his back injury, the Rockets did not win a single game. Other injuries include him falling on his back in a game against the Indiana Pacers. Despite his back injuries, McGrady was voted into the 2006 All-Star Game in Houston. His western conference teammates constantly put the ball in his hands to put him in contention for the All-Star MVP award in front of his Houston home crowd. A controversy resulted in the final minute when McGrady attempted a jump shot that would have given the West the lead and control of the game. Replays showed LeBron James, who was guarding McGrady appearing to make contact with McGrady's elbow, causing the shot attempt to fall way short of the basket. However, no foul was whistled, the East won, and LeBron James was named All-Star MVP.

McGrady posting up on Caron Butler.

In the 2006–07 season, McGrady started out slowly, and after missing 7 games with back spasms he visited a doctor. In an interview with TNT, McGrady said that he thought that his body was slowing down. He believed that he could no longer be as explosive as he was in the past due to his back injury. Shortly after another bout with back spasms, McGrady went to Waco, Texas where Dr. John Patterson performed "Synergy Release Therapy" to cure his chronic back problems, particularly the back spasms.^[6] However, since Yao Ming was having another breakout season, he was deferring to Yao as the number one option.^[7] Since Yao went down with a leg injury, McGrady stepped up his overall play, re-establishing himself as one of the game's premier players and by doing so led Houston to the 5th best record in the league. On December 29, 2006, he became the third youngest player in NBA history to reach 14,000 points and 4,000 rebounds.^[8] However, in the playoffs, the Rockets lost their first round series to the Utah Jazz 4–3, again preventing McGrady from advancing to the second round of the playoffs. Prior to the series with the Jazz, McGrady had stated in an interview with Stephen A. Smith that if he and the Rockets failed to make it out of the first round again, it was "on me".^[9] At his post-game press conference following the game 7 defeat, McGrady, still visibly emotional from the loss, said "I tried, man, I tried." ^[10]

After the 2006–07 season, following the Rockets first round playoff defeat, Jeff Van Gundy was fired as head coach by Rockets management. Rick Adelman was hired as head coach as Rockets owner Leslie Alexander wanted a more uptempo offense to utilize the offensive skill set of Yao and McGrady.

The 2007–08 season for the Rockets was decimated by injuries, most notable Yao Ming being placed on injured reserve in February. Incredibly, the Rockets won 22 straight games (10 without Yao). The Rockets finished as the 5th seed in the West and earned a rematch with the Utah Jazz. However, by the time playoffs came, McGrady was already nursing shoulder and knee injuries as he had bandages placed on his shoulder and his knee throughout the playoff series. McGrady took pain-killing injections in and had fluid drained from both his shoulder and knee to allow him to play.^[11][12][13] The Jazz again eliminated the Rockets in six games, despite McGrady recording 40 points and 10 rebounds in the decisive Game Six, a 113–91 loss.^[14]

In May 2008, McGrady underwent arthroscopic surgery on both his left shoulder and left knee.^[15]

On February 18, 2009, McGrady announced on his website that he would have surgery on his left knee and would miss the remainder of the 2008–09 season. He had already missed 18 games before the All-Star break, including a two-week stretch in January, and said before the season that his knee was not healed from his off-season surgery. Head coach Rick Adelman, who found out about the announcement when he read the newspaper in the morning, criticized McGrady for not informing the team of the decision.^[16] He decided to have microfracture surgery in Chicago on February 24, 2009. The cartilage damage to be repaired by the microfracture surgery was in a small area on a non-weight-bearing surface, and the rest of his knee was otherwise healthy, according to the team doctor.^[13][17]

Despite McGrady being on injured reserve, the Rockets beat the Trail Blazers 4–2 in the first round of the playoffs to advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 1997. The Rockets would compete in a memorable series against the eventual NBA champion LA Lakers, before losing Game 7 in LA. Since McGrady was on the Rockets' roster during the 2009 NBA Playoffs, he officially advanced past the first round of the playoffs for the first time in his career.

McGrady only played in six games with the Rockets during the 2009–10 season, all in limited minutes as a reserve due to injuries, before being traded to the New York Knicks in February.

New York Knicks (2010)[link]

McGrady with the New York Knicks

On February 18, 2010, McGrady was traded to the New York Knicks as part of a three-team trade involving Houston, New York, and the Sacramento Kings.^[18] On February 20, 2010, McGrady made his debut for the Knicks against the Oklahoma City Thunder,^[19] to a sold-out Madison Square Garden, amid many "We Want T-Mac!" chants.^[20][21] He scored 26 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, and dished 5 assists in 32 minutes of play as New York lost in overtime.^[22] This was McGrady's first game since December 23, 2009 against the Orlando Magic.^[23] His first win as a member of the Knicks came six days later, in a 23-point effort against the Washington Wizards.^[24]

Detroit Pistons (2010–2011)[link]

On August 16, 2010, McGrady signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Pistons.^[25] On December 7, 2010, McGrady returned to Houston for the first time to a mixture of applause and boos from the home crowd and scored 11 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and dished 3 assists in a 97-83 loss.^[26] On January 14, 2011, McGrady scored a season-high of 22 points in a 101-95 win over the Toronto Raptors. McGrady averaged 8.0 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in 23.4 minutes for the Pistons but they failed to make the playoffs for the second year in a row.

Atlanta Hawks (2011–present)[link]

On December 7, 2011, ESPN reported that McGrady agreed to a one-year deal with the Atlanta Hawks for the veteran minimum.^[27] In his debut as a Hawk, McGrady finished with 12 points, 2 rebounds, a steal and a block in less than 20 minutes of action in a 106-70 blowout win over the New Jersey Nets. Less than a week later, on January 2, 2012, McGrady scored 13 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter of a game against the then-undefeated Miami Heat, to lead the Hawks to a comeback victory.^[28] Over the season, he averaged a career-low 5.3 points per game in 16 minutes per game.

Off the court[link]

Personal life[link]

McGrady has four children—daughters Layla Clarice, Laycee Aloe, and sons Laymen Lamar, Layden—with his wife CleRenda Harris, whom he had dated for 10 years. Their first son was born on December 27, 2005 during a 82–74 loss against the Utah Jazz in which McGrady left during halftime to see his girlfriend going into labor.^[29] The couple were married on September 12, 2006 in Mexico. McGrady and Vince Carter are third cousins; McGrady learned that his grandmother and Carter's grandmother were cousins at a family reunion while he was still in high school and Carter played at the University of North Carolina.^[30] The two played together with the Toronto Raptors for two years before McGrady left for free agency. After McGrady left, he and Carter had a feud, but this was resolved in a short period of time.^[31]

Tracy's younger brother, Chancellor "Chance" McGrady, played for the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Runner-Up Memphis Tigers basketball team.^[32]

In 2008, McGrady was criticized for his comments on the All-Star game being held in New Orleans, only 3 years removed from the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. McGrady publicly questioned the quality of public safety and protection of NBA players.^[33]

Upon retirement, Tracy has stated that he plans on focusing his efforts on the two companies that he currently runs. The first is a bottled water company in Florida, called BLUE04. The second is a technology company based in Washington DC, called Dasdak.^[34]

Endorsements[link]

In 2002, McGrady signed a longterm partnership with Adidas, agreeing to an endorsement deal that will last through his playing career and beyond.^[35] He also appeared on the cover of NBA Live 07.

Philanthropy[link]

McGrady has traveled to the Darfurian refugee camps in Chad with John Prendergast and Omer Ismail of the ENOUGH Project. McGrady is actively recruiting NBA players to support a sister schools initiative linking schools in Darfurian refugee camps to American middle schools, high schools and universities.^[36]

In 2009, McGrady changed his jersey number to #3. He made the switch to promote his humanitarian efforts in the Darfur region of the Sudan and a documentary on his summer 2007 visits to refugee camps in the region. The documentary is called 3 Points.^[37] However, he went back to wearing # 1 when he joined the Pistons.

USA career[link]

Medal record
Men’s basketball
Competitor for  United States
FIBA Americas Championship
Gold	2003 San Juan	Team competition

He was a member of the United States men's national basketball team in the 2003 Tournament of the Americas where the USA team won the tournament and qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics. He was invited to the Olympics but did not attend.

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

NBA career achievements[link]

• 2× NBA Scoring Champion: 2003 (32.1), 2004 (28.0)
• 7× NBA All-Star: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
• 7× All-NBA:

• First Team: 2002, 2003
• Second Team: 2001, 2004, 2007
• Third Team: 2005, 2008

• NBA Most Improved Player Award: 2001

Orlando Magic franchise records[link]

• Most points in one game with 62 (March 10, 2004 vs. Washington Wizards)
• Most points in one half with 37 in the first half (March 9, 2003 vs. Denver Nuggets)
• Most points in one quarter with 25 in the second quarter (March 9, 2003 vs. Denver Nuggets)
• Most points in a playoff game with 46 (Tied, Dwight Howard; in Game 2 of the 2003 Eastern Conference playoffs, First Round vs. Detroit Pistons)
• Most three-point field goals made in one half with 8 (January 26, 2004 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers)

See also[link]

• List of individual National Basketball Association scoring leaders by season
• List of National Basketball Association players with 60 or more points in a game

References[link]