Latest Prep Phenom Ready For Nba First Prerequisite Taken Care Of With $12 Million Adidas Deal

Tracy McGrady, admittedly surprised to find himself on the verge of the NBA, already has a remarkable achievement to his credit.

Barely out of Mount Zion Academy, the 6-foot-8 McGrady has signed a six-year, $12 million deal with sporting goods manufacturer Adidas. That contract precedes a likely multi-million dollar contract he will sign with the team that selects him in next week’s NBA draft.

McGrady has already worked out for 10 teams as part of a whirlwind tour that covered both coasts and cities in between. Scouts have been on his trail for months.

“It really blows my mind for NBA scouts to think a high school kid is that good,” McGrady said Thursday. “But, hey, I guess I’m blessed with the talent God blessed me with. So I just have to use that talent and just keep working hard.”

Some of that work is under way. McGrady has put in countless hours in the weight room. The result of that work has added bulk to his once-slender upper body, a requirement for the physical play in the NBA.

McGrady is expected to be the fourth high school player picked in the first round in the last three years.

Showing off his skills before a small gathering of reporters, McGrady said he can’t wait to join his young peers - and some of the older ones - later this year.

“It’s going to be great the first time I step on the court with those guys like Jordan, Pippen and Penny,” McGrady said. “It’s just going to be a great experience.”