As a basketball player, Tracy McGrady has evolved in the four years since he last donned an Orlando Magic uniform. He's shooting less, passing more and buying into a system where he's not the primary scorer — all of which have helped the Rockets to back-to-back 50-win seasons.
But McGrady, 29, has experienced just as much of an evolution off the court. He's grown up, he said, and that's evidenced by his work on the situation in Darfur, a region in Sudan where in recent years more than 500,000 people have been killed and millions have been forced to dislocate since fighting began.
McGrady visited three refugee camps in Africa last year, where he saw children wandering the wilderness unattended and people sleeping in tents infested with bugs and reptiles. It was like nothing he had ever seen before.
McGrady generated a documentary about the trip called "3-points," with the help of human-rights activist John Prendergast. On Nov.12, the film was screened to about 200 people, including basketball players, celebrities and movie-studio executives.
"We're looking to do more screenings of it in different cities," said McGrady, who finished with 17 points in the Rockets' 100-95 victory over the Magic on Saturday. "Something is definitely coming of it."
McGrady, an Auburndale native, is hoping to build schools for the children in the refugee camps, and then connect American students with children in Darfur through the Internet.
It's a project called Sister Schools Initiative, but it's still in need of more funding and support.
He's spread the word to other NBA names with the platform to make a difference, such as Baron Davis, Carl Landry and former Pacers star Reggie Miller.
McGrady isn't planning any more trips to Africa, though.
"I don't think it's safe to plan any trips over there right now," he said. "Maybe sometime in the future."
McGrady's passion for the Darfur tragedy symbolizes a social consciousness that wasn't as prevalent in his Orlando Magic days.
"I've gotta set a great example for my kids," McGrady said. "Being a father, being a husband. ... I'm the same old Mac but I've grown up a little bit."
