Tracy McGrady Once Dreamed of Wearing Kentucky Blue Before Adidas Offer Changed Everything and Sent Him Straight to NBA

Tracy McGrady’s name is etched in the annals of basketball history as one of the most naturally gifted scorers the NBA has ever seen. His career, defined by breathtaking offensive skill, smooth athleticism, and the ability to take over a game at will, began not in the NCAA’s March Madness but under the bright lights of the NBA. Yet, there’s an intriguing “what if” lurking in his story—one that connects him to one of college basketball’s most storied programs: the Kentucky Wildcats. McGrady once had a genuine desire to play for Kentucky in college, a dream that could have altered his basketball journey. But, in the late 1990s, Adidas stepped in with an offer so massive it rerouted his path entirely, skipping college altogether and going directly to the NBA. The story is a fascinating look at how one decision—shaped by both personal ambition and financial opportunity—changed the course of a Hall of Fame career before it even began.

In the late 1990s, Tracy McGrady was a rising star out of Auburndale High School in Florida before transferring to Mount Zion Christian Academy in North Carolina. By his senior year, he had become one of the most sought-after prospects in the country, drawing attention from scouts, college coaches, and sneaker companies alike. His combination of height, length, and guard skills made him a rare commodity in that pre-social media era when word-of-mouth, recruiting rankings, and occasional national TV exposure shaped a high school player’s reputation. McGrady wasn’t just good—he was jaw-droppingly talented, the kind of player who could create offense effortlessly, glide to the basket, and defend multiple positions. Kentucky, under head coach Rick Pitino, was fresh off national success and seemed like a perfect stage for McGrady’s next step.

McGrady himself admitted that Kentucky was high on his list. The Wildcats were a powerhouse program, known for developing NBA-ready talent and playing on the biggest stage in college basketball. For a player with McGrady’s abilities, the thought of donning Kentucky blue and playing in front of the raucous Rupp Arena crowd was an appealing vision. Kentucky basketball at that time wasn’t just about winning games—it was a cultural moment every season. Pitino’s teams were stacked with talent, played at a blistering pace, and attracted national media attention. McGrady fit the mold perfectly: an athletic, versatile wing who could adapt to multiple roles. In another universe, it’s easy to imagine McGrady dazzling in the NCAA Tournament, perhaps cutting down the nets before moving on to the pros.

But that alternate reality never came to pass. While McGrady’s interest in Kentucky was genuine, Adidas, which had begun aggressively competing with Nike and other shoe brands for top talent, had other plans. Seeing McGrady’s potential not just as an NBA player but as a marketable star, Adidas offered him a substantial contract—reportedly in the millions—if he bypassed college and declared for the 1997 NBA Draft. At a time when making the leap from high school to the NBA was still rare but growing (Kevin Garnett had done it in 1995, Kobe Bryant in 1996), McGrady suddenly faced a life-changing decision. College basketball’s glory and a chance to play for Kentucky were tempting, but so was financial security for himself and his family.

The Adidas deal wasn’t just about money—it was about positioning McGrady as one of the faces of the brand early in his career. The company was making a statement in the basketball world, and McGrady was to be one of its cornerstone athletes. It’s easy to see why he accepted. Millions of dollars upfront, combined with the opportunity to immediately test himself against the world’s best players, was hard to turn down for an 18-year-old whose stock had skyrocketed in just a year. The dream of Kentucky had to be put aside in favor of a professional career.

In June 1997, the Toronto Raptors selected McGrady with the ninth overall pick in the NBA Draft. His rookie season was quiet by today’s standards, as he adjusted to the pace, physicality, and demands of the league. But by his third season, McGrady’s star began to rise rapidly. He became known for his smooth offensive game, highlight-reel dunks, and an ability to take over games in crunch time. His eventual move to the Orlando Magic in 2000 elevated him into a legitimate superstar, where he would win back-to-back scoring titles in 2003 and 2004. His career also included stints with the Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, and Atlanta Hawks, with a brief overseas appearance in China before retirement. He would be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017, cementing his place among the game’s elite.

Looking back, it’s fun—and perhaps a little bittersweet for Kentucky fans—to imagine McGrady in a Wildcats jersey. His arrival in Lexington could have altered the college basketball landscape. Paired with other elite recruits of the time, he could have made Kentucky an even bigger force in the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats, already perennial title contenders, might have added another championship banner with McGrady leading the charge. For McGrady, a year under Rick Pitino’s coaching could have been a different kind of preparation for the NBA—one that perhaps helped avoid some of the injuries that later shortened his prime. On the flip side, the risk of injury or a dip in draft stock could have cost him financially. In that sense, his decision to skip college entirely was also a pragmatic one.

The late 1990s were a transformative period in basketball culture, with sneaker companies like Adidas, Nike, and Reebok playing increasingly influential roles in the careers of young athletes. McGrady’s story was a prime example of this shift. He was part of a wave of players who bypassed the traditional college route entirely, paving the way for stars like LeBron James, Dwight Howard, and others to make the jump directly from high school to the NBA. While the NBA’s current rules prevent players from making that leap without spending at least one year after high school elsewhere, McGrady’s journey is a reminder of how dramatically the system has evolved.

McGrady himself has spoken fondly about the idea of Kentucky, even if it never happened. There’s a certain wistfulness in imagining himself in that environment, developing his game in a college setting before heading to the pros. But he’s also candid in acknowledging that the Adidas offer was simply too big to pass up. For a teenager from modest beginnings, the deal provided life-changing security and an immediate shot at living his NBA dream. It’s hard to argue with the results, even if the “what if” lingers.

For Kentucky fans, McGrady is one of the great “almost” recruits—a name to be uttered alongside other elite players who were close to joining the program but ultimately took another path. The Wildcats have had their share of NBA stars pass through Lexington, but imagining McGrady’s length, skill, and flair in Kentucky blue remains a tantalizing thought experiment. He would have been a perfect fit for the Wildcats’ up-tempo offense, a highlight machine in the open court, and a nightmare matchup for any college defender.

The Adidas deal that changed McGrady’s life also highlighted the growing influence of corporate sponsorships in amateur and professional basketball. These were the early days of shoe companies shaping the careers of young athletes, a trend that has only grown in the decades since. Today, NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals allow college players to earn significant income while still competing at the NCAA level—something that could have changed McGrady’s calculus entirely had it existed back in 1997. Under modern rules, he might have been able to sign with Kentucky, collect endorsement money, and still prepare for the NBA. But in the world he lived in, it was an either-or choice.

Ultimately, Tracy McGrady’s decision to go straight to the NBA worked out in the sense that he became one of the league’s brightest stars and earned a Hall of Fame nod. His legacy is defined by his professional achievements, not by what he might have done in college. Still, the story of his Kentucky connection adds a fascinating wrinkle to his biography—a reminder that even the careers of basketball legends are shaped by moments of choice and chance. For fans of the Wildcats, it remains one of the sport’s great “what might have been” stories, a tantalizing vision of a superstar in blue and white that never came to pass.

If McGrady had stepped onto the floor at Rupp Arena in 1997, the cheers would have been deafening, the highlights unforgettable, and the memories lasting for generations. Instead, he took a different path, one paved with Adidas stripes and NBA arenas. And while Kentucky fans never got to see him in their uniform, the basketball world was still treated to a once-in-a-generation talent who, for a brief moment in his youth, dreamed of calling Lexington home.