Even those we believe to be invincible can be made into mere mortals.
那些我们认为不可战胜的巨星最后难免也会沦落成凡人。
Once at the zenith of the NBA's structured list of greatness, Tracy McGrady has hit one of the most staggering declines in league history. After spending the better part of a decade competing for All-NBA honors, T-Mac was told in 2012 that he needed to fight for a roster spot.
麦迪曾经是联盟中最伟大的球员之一，他的衰落在联盟历史上也是最令人震惊的之一。近十年来，麦迪为了NBA中的各种荣誉而奋斗，然而就在今年他被告知需要努力争取才能挤进一支球队的名单之中。
A process that pride will not enable to transpire.
这种争取是没有什么自尊可言的。
Rather than work out and prove his worth in training camp, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports that McGrady is in the process of finalizing an agreement with Qingdao of the Chinese Basketball Association. This all but ends any chance of his signing with an NBA franchise by the end of 2012.
据雅虎体育记者Adrian Wojnarowski的报道，麦迪不想再通过训练营来证明他自己的价值，他选择了中国篮球联赛（CBA）的青岛队，他们之间的合同很快就会敲定。这也就意味着直到2012年底他已经不可能再和其他NBA球队签约了。
McGrady is the latest in a chain of former NBA superstars to fall victim to a steep decline in production. Between his plethora of injuries and the lack of playing time that teams are willing to offer him, the former All-Star appears to be well beyond the point of no return.
联盟中有不少前超级巨星在球场上的输出急剧下降的例子，而麦迪就是其中最近的一位。在累累的伤病和少得可怜的上场时间的折磨下，这位前NBA全明星似乎已经下定决心出走NBA了。
The question is, does this unheralded fall from the top and move to China make Tracy McGrady a cult figure or simply desperate for a job? Time to uncover the truth.
从联盟顶端的突然坠落，再到赴中国打球，麦迪到底还是不是一个巨星呢？他到中国是为了淘金吗？这就为你揭开真相。
The Backstory
故事背景
The unfortunate fact of the matter is that a majority of young NBA fans are unfamiliar with who Tracy McGrady once was as a player. They know him from his current days, which is a tragedy considering how dominant T-Mac once was.
遗憾的是当今大多年轻的球迷对麦迪的过去都不太清楚。他们只认识现在的麦迪，与他过去统治级的表现相比，如今的麦迪只能说是一个悲剧。
McGrady was a more skilled LeBron James that played shooting guard. For whatever reason, that fact has been lost, which makes it imperative that one understands his full backstory.
过去麦迪就像是一个升级版的詹姆斯在打得分后卫。不管如何，现在他已不复当年之勇，那么在这里了解一下他的历史背景也显得是必须的了。
The Toronto Raptors drafted McGrady with the ninth overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft. McGrady had come straight out of high school and was the recipient of quite a significant amount of buzz after being named the High School Player of the Year by USA Today.
在1997年的NBA选秀大会上，多伦多猛龙队以第一轮第九顺位的签选中了麦迪。麦迪高中毕业后便直接进入了NBA, 当他被《今日美国》（USA Today）选为年度最优秀高中生球员时还引起了不少轰动。
Although T-Mac walked a line of mediocrity during his first two years in the league, he began to turn things around during the 1999-2000 NBA season. Alongside his third cousin and fellow superstar Vince Carter, McGrady averaged 15.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.1 steals per game.
麦迪在NBA的头两年表现平平，并不出彩。然而在1999-2000年赛季中，他开始大放异彩。在他的三表哥兼超级巨星文斯卡特的身边打球，麦迪场均可以砍下15,4分，6,3个篮板，3.3次助攻，1.9次盖帽和1.1次抢断。
As a shooting guard, small forward hybrid. Unreal.
作为一位锋卫摇摆人，这种数据实在是太梦幻了。
T-Mac started 34 games that season and helped lead the Raptors to a 45-37 record, earning the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. After falling 3-0 to the New York Knicks, however, the Raptors decided to shake things up.
麦迪在那个赛季首发了34场并帮助猛龙队取得了45胜37负的成绩，在东部排名第六。在季后赛3-0被尼克斯横扫出局后，猛龙决定要大换血。
McGrady was traded to the Orlando Magic. From there on out, the Raptors were riddled with regret, and T-Mac began to take over the league with no looking back.
麦迪被交易到了奥兰多魔术。不久，猛龙就感到了万分悔恨，而麦迪头也不回地开始统治整个联盟。
Taking Over Orlando
接管奥兰多
McGrady was an All-Star selection in every season from 2001 to 2007. That's seven appearances, for those keeping track at home, which came by virtue of the fact that the opposing defenses could not prevent him from doing whatever it was he wanted to do with the basketball.
自2001到2007年，麦迪每年都被选入全明星队。不用算了，一共是七次，他之所以能入选七次，那是因为联盟当时已经没有人能够阻止他在球场上随心所欲了。
Two scoring titles cough up enough evidence to warrant that claim.
两次NBA得分王的头衔也很好的证明了之一点。
The truth about McGrady, however, is that he was much more than just a scorer. From 2001 to 2009, T-Mac averaged at least 5.0 assists in seven of nine seasons. He also averaged at least 6.0 rebounds in six of nine years and swiped at least one steal in every one of those seasons.
但麦迪并不仅仅是一个得分手。从2001到2009年，他有七个赛季场均助攻达到5.0个，有六个赛季的场均篮板达到6.0个以上，九个赛季的场均抢断从未少过一个。
His decade of dominance was well-rounded but lost in the hype surrounding his uncanny ability to light up the scoreboard.
麦迪在他最有统治力的十年的表现是十分全面的。可惜媒体却总是只吹捧他那不可思议的得分能力。
During the 2001 NBA season, McGrady proved to the world why he was a superstar. He upped his season averages from 2000 almost all the way across the board, putting up 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks.
在2001年的NBA赛季中，麦迪向世界证明了为什么他是一个超级巨星。他的场均数据一飞冲天，与2000年相比有了大幅度的提高。在那个赛季中，他每场可以得到26.8分，7.5个篮板，4.6次助攻，1.5次抢断和1.5个盖帽。
This led to his winning the Most Improved Player of the Year award and McGrady's first career All-Star appearance.
这样的表现使他获得了那个赛季的最佳进步球员奖项并且生涯第一次入选了全明星。
Taking Over the NBA
统治NBA
After a standout 2001 season, Tracy McGrady kept the pace in 2002 with averages of 25.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. This earned McGrady first-team All-NBA honors.
在一个出彩的2001赛季后，麦迪在2002赛季继续他的出色表现，在那个赛季他场均可以得到25.6分，7.9个篮板，5.3次助攻，1.6次抢断和1.0个盖帽。这为他赢得了入选当年NBA第一阵容的荣誉。
Even with such an outstanding level of success, the respect wasn't necessarily there yet. Orlando had gone just 44-38 and found itself with a first-round postseason exit.
就算在球场上表现如此成功，麦迪也不一定能获得足够的尊重。因为他的奥兰多魔术队在那个赛季只获得44胜38负的成绩并且在季后赛第一轮就被踢出局。
2003, however, quieted the critics. T-Mac became a global phenomenon.
2003赛季，麦迪的表现让球评们无话可说。他已经成为了全民偶像。
During the 2003 NBA season, McGrady won his first of two consecutive scoring titles. He posted mind-blowing season averages of 32.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.7 steals on 45.7 percent shooting from the floor and 38.6 percent from beyond the arc.
在2003赛季，麦迪得到了他生涯连续两个得分王中的第一个。当时他的表现令人为之疯狂，他场均得到32.1分，6.5个篮板，5.5次助攻和1.7次抢断。他的命中率也达到了45.7%，三分命中率达到38.6%.
Yet he missed out on the MVP award due to Tim Duncan's year of brilliance.
可惜他还是没能获得当年的最有价值球员（MVP）,邓肯凭借出色的表现打败了他。
The leap to elite had been made. Unfortunately, the postseason was not any kinder to the Magic, as they once again suffered a first-round exit.
无疑的是他挤进了联盟精英球员的行列。不幸的是，魔术队在季后赛中并不好过，他们又一次止步第一轮。
2004 proved to be his final chance with the Magic, and McGrady made the most of it. His season averages of 28.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.4 steals confirmed his status as elite.
2004赛季是他在魔术证明自己的最后一个赛季，麦迪也尽了全力去表现自己。他赛季场均28.0分，6.0个篮板，5.5次助攻和1.4次抢断的表现再次巩固他的联盟精英地位。
Those numbers also won McGrady his second consecutive scoring title.
那样的表现也使他蝉联了得分王的头衔。
In his four years with the Orlando Magic, McGrady averaged 28.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. Conversations of whether or not T-Mac was the best player in the world had begun to surface.
在魔术队的四年里，麦迪场均得到28.1分，7.0个篮板，5.2次助攻，1.5次抢断和1.0个盖帽。舆论逐渐出现关于麦迪是不是世界上最好的球员的讨论。
Welcome to Houston
休城欢迎你
The pairing of Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady was built to be one of legend. Never since the days of Hakeem Olajuwon had there been so much hype surrounding the Houston Rockets.
姚明和麦迪的组合就是为了成为传奇而打造的。他们引起的轰动和关注是休斯顿火箭自哈基姆奥拉朱旺退役后就从未感受过的。
After a slow first month of the season, McGrady found his groove on December 2, 2004 against the in-state rival Dallas Mavericks. McGrady had averaged just 20.2 points per game during the previous month but erased all negative memories by putting up 48 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, three blocks and two steals.
经历一个月的磨合后，麦迪在2012年12月2日与达拉斯小牛的德州得比中找回了状态。在前一个月，麦迪场均只得到20.2分，但在这场比赛中他全场拿下了48分，9个篮板，9次助攻，3次盖帽和2个抢断。这足以让人忘记他前面的低迷。
Although the Rockets lost that game, T-Mac had finally arrived. From there on out, he never looked back.
尽管火箭队还是输掉了比赛，但是他们找回了麦迪。从那时起，他的表现一路高歌。
McGrady had six total games with at least 40 points that season, with 21 outings topping 30. His final season averages sat at 25.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
在那个赛季，麦迪有6场比赛得分达到了40分以上，有21场超过30分以上。整个赛季他场均可得25.7分，6.2个篮板，5.7次助攻和1.7次抢断。
Over the following five seasons, those numbers would remain consistent. McGrady would work off Yao Ming to near perfection, scoring at will and facilitating the offense better than most point guards. At one point, he had even led the Rockets to 22 consecutive victories.
在接下去的5个赛季中，麦迪一直都是那样的表现。麦迪和姚明的搭档几近天衣无缝，他可以随心所欲的得分，他的进攻能力已经超越联盟大多数得分后卫。麦迪一度还带领火箭队取得了22连胜的好成绩。
Unfortunately, there were two numbers that grew to a much higher level of importance: zero and 165.
遗憾的是有两个数字已经增长到让人不得不重视的程度: 0和165。
McGrady and the Rockets made it past the first round of the postseason zero times, and T-Mac himself missed 165 games due to injury.
麦迪和他的火箭队越过季后赛第二轮的次数为0，麦迪因伤缺席的场数为165场。
Injuries Strike
接连的伤病
Over the span of his 15-year career, McGrady has missed 276 games due to injury. That is an average of 18.4 games missed per season, which equates to an inability to qualify for most end-of-the-year awards.
在他15年的职业生涯中，麦迪因伤缺席了276场比赛。平均每赛季缺席18.4场，这也就意味着他不够资格去竞争那些需要保证出席率的年终奖项。
Had this man been able to stay healthy, McGrady may have finished his career as a first-ballot Hall of Famer and won himself an MVP award or two.
如果麦迪能够一直保持健康，他就有可能会获得一到两座的MVP奖杯，并且在获得提名资格的第一年就能入选名人堂。
While a member of the Orlando Magic, McGrady was not only at the top of his career, but the healthiest point as well. T-Mac missed 33 games in four years, but 15 of those came in 2004. In every year prior, T-Mac played in at least 75 games.
在魔术的日子是麦迪生涯的高峰期并且也是他最健康的时期。在那四年里麦迪总共错过了33场比赛，这其中在2004年缺席了15场。也就是说，在前面的三年里麦迪每赛季至少出场75次。
Leaving Orlando cursed him in more ways than we know. Fortunately for us, we were blessed to enjoy a decade of basketball brilliance.
也许离开奥兰多魔术带给他的诅咒是多方面的，但具体如何我们不得而知。对我们球迷来说，能欣赏到麦迪十年的精彩表现已是很受上天眷顾了。
If that is what we saw, can you imagine what could have been?
如果那是他的过去，那你能想象他未来的成就吗？
Lasting Legacy
永恒的遗产
To answer the earlier question, McGrady is not desperate for a job. He is a cult icon.
回答文章开始时提出的那个问题，麦迪不是为了淘金而到中国，他并不是急着要找一份工作。他仍是一个让人崇拜的偶像。
McGrady is an international superstar, specifically in China. After playing with Chinese superstar Yao Ming in Houston, his fanbase in Asia became enormous. To move out to a land where his talents will be appreciated and confidence restored is beyond logical.
麦迪是一个国际巨星，在中国更是如此。和中国的超级巨星姚明一同在休斯顿奋战后，麦迪在中国的人气急剧上升，粉丝数量剧增。在一个才能会被赏识信心可以保持的地方打球，这样的做法是不能用常理来度之的。

It is yet another act of basketball brilliance.
这是另一种篮球智慧。
As for his legacy in the NBA, McGrady should go down as one of the best that has ever done it. He deserves to be a Hall of Famer for his decade-long reign over the league.
说到他给NBA留下了什么，我觉得麦迪应该被当做对NBA做出最杰出贡献的球员之一。他对联盟十年的统治足够为他赢得名人堂成员的称号。
He deserves to be recognized as one of the game's most well-rounded players ever.
他是联盟历史上当之无愧的最全面的球员之一。
Over the span of his eight years of dominance, McGrady averaged 26.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. The honors he received only further strengthen that Hall of Fame candidacy.
在他打出统治级表现的八年里，麦迪场均得到26.1分，6.4个篮板，5.5次助攻，1.5次抢断和0.8次盖帽。他获得的诸多荣誉只会使他将来在获得名人堂提名时更加有说服力。
McGrady won two scoring titles, made seven All-Star Game appearances and was selected to eight All-NBA teams. He also won the 2001 Most Improved Player of the Year award.
麦迪一共得到过两次得分王，七次全明星，8次NBA阵容。他还获得过2001赛季的最快进步球员奖项。
Despite never making it out of the first round of the postseason, McGrady is one of the greatest individual postseason performers in NBA history. From 2001 to 2008, T-Mac made six playoff appearances. In that time, he averaged 29.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.
麦迪是NBA历史上在季后赛个人表现最出色的球员之一，尽管他从未越过季后赛第一轮那道坎。从2001到2008年，麦迪一共打了六次季后赛。在季后赛中，他场均可以得到29.5分，6.9个篮板，6.5次助攻，1.4次抢断和1.1个盖帽。
We'll never know why T-Mac's teams struggled in the postseason. What we do know, however, is that you can't blame him.
谁也不知道为什么麦迪的季后赛之旅会如此艰难。唯一可以肯定的是，我们不能因此而怪罪他。
There's no way around this simple fact: McGrady was one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA history. His statistical production is on par with the best of the best, and if he fails to make the Hall of Fame, it would be a complete and utter tragedy.
麦迪是NBA历史上最伟大的得分后卫之一，这是毋庸置疑的。他在数据上可以和那些最优秀的球员相比。如果麦迪进不了名人堂，那将是一个彻彻底底的悲剧。
If we are to honor individual greatness, there are few from the 2000s who can compare to McGrady.
要论个人的伟大，在新世纪的头个十年里几乎没有什么人能和麦迪比肩。
What Will the Future Hold?
路在何方
As for McGrady's NBA future, don't write him off just yet. The Chinese Basketball Association's season comes to a close in March, which would enable T-Mac to sign with a postseason contender.
我们现在不能断言说麦迪不会回到NBA了。中国篮球联赛的赛季将会在三月结束，这样的话麦迪就还有可能会和一支季后赛球队签约。
A dream that one can only hope comes to fruition.
这个梦想就只能被盼望着了。
Although McGrady is far from the player he once was, he deserves to go out on top. With time spent as a superstar in the Chinese spotlight, we may even see McGrady return with a brand new confidence and healthier knees.
虽然现在的麦迪已不能与过去的相比了，但他还是值得被当成巨星对待。经过在中国的超级巨星生活后，麦迪也许将会带着全新的自信和更加健康的膝盖回归。
As long as he stays healthy, McGrady's future could hold one last run at an ever-elusive NBA championship.
只要能保持健康，麦迪在将来就能向那捉摸不定的NBA总冠军发起最后的冲击。