In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Celtics were close to either drafting star players or moving on from future players they drafted too soon on several occasions.
One of the players they missed out on in the draft was Tracy McGrady in 1997. But it turns out, that was by the Basketball Hall of Famer’s design.
In an interview on the “Ryen Russillo Podcast,” McGrady detailed how Rick Pitino’s presence in Boston caused him to take a different approach during his pre-draft interview with the Celtics, who held the No. 3 and No.