Tracy McGrady Denies ‘Myth’ of Infamous Quote as Magic Replay 2003 Collapse Script

Key facts

• Tracy McGrady, now an NBC analyst, denied saying 'it feels good to get into the second round' after the 2003 Magic took a 3-1 lead over the Pistons.
• McGrady called the quote a 'myth' and a joke that was misconstrued, stating no video evidence exists of him uttering the words.
• The 2003 series was the first first-round series to be best of seven; had it been best of five, the Magic would have advanced.
• McGrady averaged 36.3 points per game in the first four games of the 2003 series but only 25.6 in the final three losses.
• The Pistons held Orlando to 67 points in Game 5 and used Tayshaun Prince to shadow McGrady, who shot 36.3% from the field in Games 5-7.
• The 2026 Magic are the sixth No. 8 seed to take a 3-1 lead in the first round; four of the previous five won the series.
• Orlando has not advanced past the first round since the 2009-10 season.
• McGrady led the NBA in scoring in 2002-03 (32.1 ppg) and 2003-04 (28.0 ppg) but never won a playoff series until joining the Spurs in 2013.

A Ghost from 2003 Haunts Orlando’s Playoff Run

Twenty-three years after Tracy McGrady’s eighth-seeded Orlando Magic squandered a 3-1 lead against the top-seeded Detroit Pistons, history is repeating itself. On Monday night, the 2026 Magic defeated Detroit 94-88 at Kia Center to take a 3-1 series lead, reviving memories of a collapse that has defined the franchise for decades. McGrady, now an NBA analyst for NBC, addressed the infamous quote attributed to him after Game 4 in 2003: 'It feels good to get into the second round.' He flatly denied ever saying it, calling it a 'myth' and a joke that was twisted by the media. 'Somebody didn’t really do their homework,' McGrady said on NBC’s postgame show. 'He can’t find a video of me saying that. It’s a myth.'

The 2003 Collapse: A Cautionary Tale

In 2003, Orlando shocked the basketball world by taking a 3-1 lead over a Pistons team that finished 50-32 and topped the Eastern Conference. The Magic won Game 1 in Detroit, lost Game 2, then returned to Orlando to win Games 3 and 4. McGrady was at the peak of his powers, averaging 32.1 points per game that season and finishing fourth in MVP voting. Through the first four games of the series, he averaged 36.3 points. But the series was the first in NBA history to use a best-of-seven format in the first round; had it been best of five, the Magic would have advanced. Instead, Detroit stormed back, holding Orlando to 67 points in Game 5 and using a then-unknown Tayshaun Prince to shadow McGrady. McGrady shot just 36.3% from the field in the final three games, and the Pistons won three straight to take the series in seven. Detroit was later swept by the New Jersey Nets in the conference finals but won the championship the following year.

McGrady’s Denial and the Media’s Role

The quote 'It feels good to get into the second round' has been repeated for two decades as a cautionary tale about premature celebration. But McGrady insists it never happened. 'It was a joke in the interview session, of me making that joke, “Oh, we finally get to go to the second round,”' he said on Monday. 'OK? It was a joke.' He added, 'You know how media is. You can’t find a video of me actually saying that.' The remark resurfaced after a media member asked Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley about it following Game 4. McGrady, now an analyst for NBC, used his platform to set the record straight. Regardless of his words, the 2003 Magic did not close out the series, and McGrady’s legacy has been tied to that failure ever since.

A Franchise Haunted by First-Round Exits

Orlando has not advanced past the first round since the 2009-10 season. McGrady, who led the NBA in scoring in 2002-03 and 2003-04, spent one more season with the Magic before being traded to the Houston Rockets. He never won a playoff series until joining the San Antonio Spurs in 2013, a run in which he did not play due to injury. The 2026 Magic, led by Desmond Bane’s 22 points in Game 4, are the sixth No. 8 seed to take a 3-1 lead in the first round. four of the previous five advanced. History, however, also includes the 2003 Magic, who could not finish the job. 'Just don’t ask McGrady if he thinks the job is done yet,' one report noted.

What Comes Next for Orlando

The Magic have a chance to exorcise the demons of 2003 when they face the Pistons in Game 5. A win would send them to the second round for the first time in 16 years. The stakes are high: another collapse would cement the franchise’s reputation for playoff futility. McGrady, watching from the broadcast booth, offered no predictions. But his denial of the quote underscores how narratives can outlive the truth. For Orlando, the only way to rewrite the story is to win.

The bottom line

• Tracy McGrady denies ever saying 'it feels good to get into the second round' in 2003, calling it a myth and a misconstrued joke.
• The 2003 Magic blew a 3-1 lead to the Pistons after McGrady averaged 36.3 points in the first four games but only 25.6 in the final three.
• Detroit used Tayshaun Prince to shadow McGrady, holding him to 36.3% shooting in Games 5-7, and held Orlando to 67 points in Game 5.
• The 2026 Magic are the sixth No. 8 seed to take a 3-1 lead; four of the previous five won the series.
• Orlando has not advanced past the first round since the 2009-10 season.
• McGrady never won a playoff series until joining the Spurs in 2013, a run in which he did not play.