"This is a great day. It's been a long time coming" With those words, Tracy McGrady welcomed himself to New York City. "I am very excited about the opportunity to come here to New York," he said in his first remarks since the Knicks acquired him at the trade deadline. "My agent gave me a list of teams that he felt like were interested in me, and this is the team I wanted to really come to. With what (Mike D'Antoni) brings to his teams and his style of basketball, and what I've been through, I feel like this is the perfect situation for me. I'm thrilled to be here." And the Knicks are thrilled to have him. After all, it is not everyday a team gets to add a seven-time All-Star and two-time NBA scoring champion into the fold. Over 13 seasons the 6-foot-8, 223-pound swingman has averaged 21.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 34.4 minutes in 790 career games with the Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets. However, he has been limited the past couple seasons, and only appeared in six games this season following his return from microfracture knee surgery. But if you expect to see a gimpy shell of one of the decade's premiere players, you'd better think again. "This is not the same Tracy from last season when I was hobbling on one leg," he confidently declared. "That's not going to be me. I'm a lot more explosive and a lot more confident in my leg. I am pretty close to being 100%... I have worked too hard that I have no doubt (that I can be the player I used to be). I've worked too hard and been through too much to have doubt, so I'm ready." Clearly, at just 30-years of age, McGrady is motivated to prove he is once again one of the elite players in what he dubbed a "what have you done for me lately" league. And the benefits of a vintage McGrady are plentiful. Short-term, it means the Knicks have a shot to climb back into the playoff picture despite their recent struggles. This is a scenario that the newest Knick brought up multiple times when addressing the media on Friday. "I'm trying to prove to these guys that we can make the playoffs," he said. "We are about seven games out. That's all. I've looked at the standings and we are not that far. Run off five in a row or six in a row and we are right there...I've been watching (Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler play) and they are great young talent. We have 29 games to see what we can do. We are going to try to finish this season out very, very strong." Long-term, his return to elite status could prove fortunate to the Knicks. Even though his contract expires after the end of this season, McGrady emphasized in various ways his strong desire to return to New York for what he thinks will be "something special", even if it means taking far less money than he currently makes. "Number one is Coach D'Antoni's system," he explained. "Number two, I mean, I get the opportunity to play in The Garden each and every night. And three, you're talking about when it comes July 1, if I am able to go out here for these next couple months and prove that I'm back, then I can be a part of something special. "I'm going to tell you guys like this. I'm a guy that has made a lot of money over my career. I can retire right now and I can be fine financially and my kids will be fine when they get older. Money is not an issue. So, if the Knicks were to bring in (two big time free agent superstars), I would be a fool to not want to stay here. So I am just telling you right now that I will definitely embrace the opportunity to be here. Money is not an issue." McGrady also thinks there is a very realistic chance this plan comes together, based upon Madison Square Garden, D'Antoni's system and the allure of New York City. "If you don't (see things this way) then you don't know basketball," he bluntly explained. "It's like, how can you not look at it that way? You're talking about the big city, big stage, bright lights. This is New York! Every player should want to play here, and I am sure (upcoming free agents) are looking at it this way. From a markability standpoint to everything, it's everything you want. Because this city and this franchise has been down for so long, why not try to be a part of something special and try to build it up? That's how I feel and I just want to be a part of that." Should McGrady's words ring true, his acquisition could go down as a pivotal moment in the course of the Knicks franchise. http://www.nba.com/knicks/features/mcgradyrh1002.html --

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