McGrady, Rockets disagree on return
November 21, 2009
ATLANTA (AP)—Tracy McGrady(notes) is eager to play. The Houston Rockets say he’llhave to wait.
The seven-time All-Star had microfracture surgery on his left knee inFebruary, but insisted that he’s fully recovered before Friday night’s gameagainst the streaking Atlanta Hawks.
“Right now, I could play,” he said.
Not so fast. The Rockets believe McGrady needs more time and would riskhurting his knee again if he comes back too soon. The next step is an MRI onMonday.
“We have a difference of opinion,” coach Rick Adelman said. “He wants toplay. He’s not ready to play. It’s as simple as that.”
Both sides denied a Yahoo! Sports report that the situation degenerated intoa heated argument before the Rockets’ previous game at Minnesota. The reportquoted a person close to McGrady who was not identified.
“I don’t know where that came from,” McGrady said. “We talked but it wasnothing that was reported like that. I mean, screaming and all.”
Adelman shrugged off the report as “our world of the Internet.”
“It seems like nowadays people want to dwell on one particular thing thatmay be newsworthy,” he said. “Or maybe catch your eye when you look at it.”
Whether the argument actually happened, it’s clear that McGrady considershimself much further along in his recovery than the team’s timetable.
“I don’t know,” he said. “It’s all about what they want to do.”
AP freelance writer Amy Jinkner-Lloyd contributed to this report.