T-MAC'S LIKABILITY CONTINUES TO RISE: The Orlando Sentinel had a little sit-down with him:

McGrady led the league in scoring last season with a 32.1 average and says performing an encore will be no problem.

"I got a lot more tricks in my bag. I'm going to be even better than last season. I'm not saying I'm going to average above 32 but. . . . I believe I can," he said.


"I'm more confident, too. Sounds crazy, but, yeah, I just feel unstoppable. I just feel like nothing right now can stop me from doing what I want to do on the basketball court. I can always get better. I really can."

On playing for the national team this summer:

"I'm just looking forward to going over there and claiming what's really ours. It kind of got away from that last year when those guys took the international players for granted," McGrady said. "And they saw what happened. We got a team out there that's focused to claim what's really ours.


"I think it's good to have guys such as myself and Tim Duncan, the elite players in the league, to go over there to set example and makes those guys realize that, 'OK you beat some of the best players, but you didn't beat our elite players.' We're going to go over there and take it seriously and win that gold medal."

McGrady doesn't believe the extra basketball will tire him out when he reports to the Magic's camp Oct. 4. "Come on -- I'm 24!" he laughed.

I know as little about T-Mac I do about Kobe, but it's nice to see an NBA superstar who isn't intent on making an industry out of himself though he clearly could--he isn't limited by his personality like Tim Duncan probably is.