NBA It's official: McGrady is the leader of Orlando Magic

The talented and versatile player was designated the Magic's official captain.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Ask Tracy McGrady what the future holds for the Orlando Magic, and he wearily shakes his head.
Everything, he says, depends on the "young guys" getting on the same page as the veterans.
Young guys? Tracy, you're only 24!
"But I've got six years under my belt. So I feel like I've been here a long time," he said.
McGrady is an experienced superstar who may just be tapping into all of his talents.
He is the defending NBA scoring leader, and last year he was the youngest player to average 30 points since the ABA-NBA merger of 1977. McGrady also is one of only three active players with at least 8,500 points, 2,700 rebounds and 1,600 assists through their first six seasons. (The others are injured teammate Grant Hill and Antoine Walker of Dallas.)
Also a leader
Scorer, rebounder, passer, defender. Now McGrady can add another role: leader.
The Magic's front office, by stitching a captain's C on McGrady's jersey, is making official what has been common knowledge: This is T-Mac's team.
"Now he can start to do the things that we equate with being a leader," Orlando general manager John Gabriel said. "But as far as on the floor, he's been there and has done that."
McGrady the leader will be judged by wins and losses, and that's fine with him. He will try to help the Magic reach the second round of the playoffs for the first time in eight years.
If a teammate doesn't go all-out in practice, tunes out the coaches or breaks a play to make himself look good, the captain will notice.
"If we don't do those things, we're going to be one of those teams that plays 82 games then goes home," McGrady said. "I definitely don't want that, because I enjoy playing in the postseason."
On-court dominance
Everyone says McGrady's on-court dominance makes him the Magic's leader by default, and why shouldn't his teammates defer to him in the locker room? They already do so in games.
"He does so many great things on the court that he has the authority to step up and tell guys things and have them listen," said center Andrew DeClercq, at age 30 the oldest player on the Magic's active roster. "When he starts getting vocal and telling guys, 'You need to pick it up,' it comes with a lot of authority and a lot of power."
But the leadership DeClercq expects doesn't come easily. McGrady rarely raises his voice beyond a laid-back drawl, and he admits he's never going to be a rah-rah cheerleader.
"The way I lead is just the way I come into camp, the way I approach practices, the way I approach games. I'm not necessarily speaking out," McGrady said. "I'm just going out and leading by example on the basketball court. Hopefully, the passion I have for this game can rub off on them."
Coach Doc Rivers said, "Larry Bird was not a verbal guy, but if Larry Bird can lead by example, so can Tracy."
Armstrong is gone
The Magic used to have a screamer in the locker room and on the court. But Darrell Armstrong is gone, lost to free agency in a development Rivers thought essential if McGrady was to develop as a leader.
McGrady acknowledged the Magic will miss the coffee-chugging Armstrong, who's now with the New Orleans Hornets.
"He was the guy who really sparked practice, who came in there and treated it like a game," McGrady said.
Armstrong said McGrady will grow into his new role.
"As time goes on he'll be that type of guy, because guys respect him and respect what he says," Armstrong said. "He doesn't say a lot but when he speaks, trust me, everybody listens."