T-Mac rules out CBA return, slams Chinese media

Following news that Yi Jianlian will not be going from the CBA to the NBA anytime soon comes news that Tracy McGrady won’t be making the opposite journey either.

After spending the end of last season on the bench for the San Antonio Spurs, T-Mac retired from the NBA, shortly after posting this message on his Sina Weibo account:

With the NBA then ruled out, that of course leaves open the possibility of returning to the CBA, where McGrady played 29 games for the Qingdao Eagles in the 2012-13 season. T-Mac averaged 25 points a game and the team finished last with a 8-24 record.

Most of the buzz earlier this month focused on NBL team (i.e. second tier) Sichuan Jinqiang Whale, who won the NBL title in July, with the Chengdu Business Daily saying it was “highly likely” the team would bring McGrady in if the Whale were to get into the CBA for next season.

Then the focus switched to existing CBA teams, which several reported to be interested, and Qingdao – his former employer – thought to have the edge. But the issue? Money. One report even quoted Qingdao manager Sheng Xishun saying McGrady was asking too high a price.

That report, and others, prompted this posting on Weibo, with McGrady clearly annoyed (and not for the first time):

Reading between the lines, it does seem as though T-Mac, or his representative, was tossing around some numbers – if only to test the waters – that didn’t tempt any CBA team. He seems to imply that the amount of money was the issue, not the interest in playing, but, either way, it all seems pretty final. For now.