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Tracy McGrady (05/34/79) is a retired shooting guard who played for the Toronto Raptors, the Orlando Magic, the Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, Qingdao Eagles,, and the San Antonio Spurs during a 16-year career in the NBA.
Shop for Graded Tracy McGrady Rookie Cards at eBay
He was a seven-time NBA All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, two-time NBA scoring champion, and one-time winner of the NBA Most Improved Player Award back in 2001.
Here’s a rundown with three of the best Tracy McGrady rookie cards you’ll find on the market, along with investment advice if you’re considering picking up a couple of investment pieces for the Hall of Famer.
18 McGrady rookie cards were initially sold for low to mid-range values, but they’ve picked up in price over the last decade. Here are three of the best on the market.
1997 Tracy McGrady Topps Chrome RC #125
Let’s begin with the 1997-98 Topps Chrome Tracy McGrady card. It’s a clean release, with a full-length action shot of the player hanging off the rim. Brand power and Refractor parallels make it one of the better options overall, and gem mint copies tend to receive much attention at auction.
It should be on your radar if you want to invest in McGrady RCs.
1997 Tracy McGrady Skybox E-X2001 RC #79
His Skybox E-X2001 is another great RC, which is highly affordable if you’re looking at gem mint copies. It’s a product of its time, with bright blues and a pink curved line that goes through the middle.
You’ll find an image of a dribbling McGrady on the left-hand side. It’s condition-sensitive and comes with gold chrome trim.
1997 Tracy McGrady Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems RC #42
The 1997-98 Precious Metal Gems set is legendary in collecting circles, consisting of 123 cards produced with green and red foil. This foil makes the cards incredibly condition-sensitive, especially in the present day.
Key players from the set include; Charles Barkley (#1), Allen Iverson (#20), Michael Jordan (#23), (#23G), Shaquille O’Neal (#50), Toni Kukoc (#61), Grant Hill (#64), Jamal Mashburn (#73), Kobe Bryant (#81), and Marcy Camby (#84).
McGrady also has a Green foil card from the set, numbered to just 99 copies. Given the history, it’s his most valuable RC option, regularly selling for a five-figure fee.
Value
The most expensive Tracy McGrady RC is his 1997-98 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems… this sold for $22k in October of 2020.
Investment Outlook
- Investment Rating: Moderate Buy (3.8 out of 5)
- Ownership Disclosure: None
- Best Tracy McGrady Rookie Card: 1997 Topps Chrome Rc #125
McGrady was selected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in his first appearance on the ballot. He even went on to pitch for the Sugar Land Skeeters of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball following his retirement from the NBA.
He has tonnes of fans and still holds many Orlando Magic franchise records. There’s no reason why his RCs won’t continue to climb in price over the next decade.
Over 5,000 different McGrady cards have been issued over the years, so it’s not like you’ll want more options if you’re hoping to add a couple of his RCs to your collection.
The Green PMG card is the pick of the bunch, but it is priced prohibitively. It does have the most potential to make profits in the future, but it does represent a significant outlay.
Given the number of RCs McGrady has, there’s something to suit almost every budget, so we’d stick to the highest grades possible if you’re hoping to see a good ROI in the future.