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Tracy McGrady learned of the Rockets signing of Steve Francis on Thursday, and local Channel 2 caught it all on video.
"Congratulations buddy," said McGrady with a smile. "Welcome back."
McGrady looked genuinely excited to have Francis as a teammate.
"If Steve is healthy, he's one of the best at his position," said McGrady. "He does a lot more than the other guys do at his position. He's can rebound, he's fast, he's strong. He just knows how to play the game. In our system I think he'll be an effective guard for us. I'm glad to have him on board."
The immediate question obviously was if there will be enough basketballs to go around, and McGrady said he spoke to Francis about just that last week.
"Steve has been through a lot the last three years and I'm sure he's come to terms with himself and it's all about winning," said McGrady. "We're at the point in our careers where winning should be the number one priority. He agreed. He just wants to get back to being happy on the backetball court, being on a great team with great teammates. That's what we are here -- a great group of guys all about playing the game the right way and winning basketball games. We're definitely going to embrace him."
When asked if Steve taking less money to come to Houston said something about Francis' desire, McGrady wasn't so sure.
"No, because he got a $30 million buyout," joked McGrady.
But McGrady felt he was a good addition.
"We're just glad to have him back," said McGrady. "I'm just looking forward to playing with him."
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