McGrady Wins 2000-01 Most Improved Player Award

Culminating one of the best single-season improvements in NBA history, Orlando Magic forward Tracy McGrady today was named the winner of the 2000-01 NBA Most Improved Player Award. The award honors a player who has made a dramatic improvement from the previous season or seasons.

McGrady earned the honor by posting career-highs in points (26.8), rebounds (7.5), assists (4.6), steals (1.51) and minutes played (40.1) this season. His .457 field-goal percentage, .355 three-point field-goal percentage, and .733 free-throw percentage were also career best marks.

The 6-8 forward received 74 of a possible 124 votes from a nationwide panel of sports writers and broadcasters. Sacramento's Peja Stojakovic finished second with 14 votes and Dallas' Steve Nash was third with 12 votes. Phoenix forward Shawn Marion finished fourth with six votes.

This season, McGrady improved on his previous career highs in points by 11.4 (15.4 ppg in 1999-2000), minutes by 8.9 (31.2 in 1999-2000), assists by 1.3 (3.3 in 1999-2000) and rebounds by 1.2 (6.3 in 1999-2000).

In each of his first four seasons in the NBA, McGrady - who turns 22 on May 24 - has improved upon his averages in scoring, rebounding and assists from the previous season. Last year, McGrady finished fifth in the voting for the Most Improved Player.

Selected by Toronto with the ninth pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, McGrady played three seasons with the Raptors before being traded to Orlando on August 3, 2000.

After starting 53 games in his first three seasons with Toronto, McGrady started 77 games for the Magic this season and was voted a starter through fan balloting in his first career NBA All-Star Game. He ranked first on the Magic in scoring and minutes played, and was second in rebounds, blocks, assists and steals. McGrady scored 20 or more points on 63 occasions, 30 or more 26 times, and five times during the 2000-01 season he collected 40 or more points in a game.

The NBA's Player of the Month for February, McGrady led, or tied, the Magic in scoring 58 times this year. On April 13, he put together arguably his best game as a professional, scoring a career-high 49 points, on 19-of-31 shooting from the field, grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out seven assists, while also collecting four blocks and two steals in the Magic's 113-110 loss at Washington.

The 124-member voting panel consisted of 37 national media members and three media members who cover the NBA regularly from each of the league's 29 teams. Attached are the voting results for this year's NBA Most Improved Player Award and the all-time list of winners.

2000-01 NBA MOST IMPROVED PLAYER AWARD VOTING RESULTS
74 -- Tracy McGrady, Orlando
14 -- Peja Stojakovic, Sacramento
12 -- Steve Nash, Dallas
6 -- Shawn Marion, Phoenix
4 -- Baron Davis, Charlotte
4 -- Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
2 -- Travis Best, Indiana
2 -- Jason Terry, Atlanta
1 -- Ben Wallace, Detroit
1 -- Bonzi Wells, Portland
1 -- Donyell Marshall, Utah
1 -- Richard Hamilton, Washington
1 -- Alvin Williams, Toronto
1 -- Jeff McInnis, LA Clippers


ALL-TIME NBA MOST IMPROVED PLAYER AWARD WINNERS
1985-86 Alvin Robertson, San Antonio
1986-87 Dale Ellis, Seattle
1987-88 Kevin Duckworth, Portland
1988-89 Kevin Johnson, Phoenix
1989-90 Rony Seikaly, Miami
1990-91 Scott Skiles, Orlando
1991-92 Pervis Ellison, Washington
1992-93 Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Denver
1993-94 Don MacLean, Washington
1994-95 Dana Barros, Philadelphia
1995-96 Gheorghe Muresan, Washington
1996-97 Isaac Austin, Miami
1997-98 Alan Henderson, Atlanta
1998-99 Darrell Armstrong, Orlando
1999-00 Jalen Rose, Indiana
2000-01 Tracy McGrady, Orlando