Rockets Red Glare: McGrady, Houston Not Seeing Eye-To-Eye On Return

November 21, 2009 3:17 p.m. EST

Tracy McGrady and the Houston Rockets disagree on his return from knee microfracture surgery last season that caused him to miss 42 consecutive games.

An upset McGrady reportedly got in a heated argument with coach Rick Adelman this week at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

Houston's franchise player passed Adelman dressed in his uniform and took practice with the team. It caught Adelman off guard because McGrady was not activated from the disabled list.

McGrady told Yahoo! Sports earlier that he was going to return Nov. 18.

Let the drama unfold.

"Tracy was just determined to make Rick talk to him," a source told Yahoo! Sports. "That's why he put on the uniform and went through all that. ? He wanted to get his attention. He'd like to know if he's wanted back or not."

McGrady confronted the coach on his return to the roster and was disenchanted with Rockets general manager Daryl Morey and team owner, Leslie Alexander, wanting him to take another MRI next week.

It was also reported that McGrady, 30, believed that the Rockets did not want him to return and wanted to collect on their insurance policy.

The NBA requires organizations to insure its five largest contracts. The League's Temporary Total Disability covers 80 percent of the Rockets losses after McGrady sat out his 41st game.

McGrady is in the final year of his contract and collects $23.2 million for this campaign.

"Just sitting there is tough," McGrady said. "Now, after putting in all the work this summer, I'm so eager to get back out there. I'm hungry. I'm so ready to play, man, it's not even funny. It's tearing me apart to sit here."

McGrady's antics will not make his case after his contract ends.

The shooting-guard never played an entire NBA season, missed 125 games, and can be a liability on and off the court.

If his leadership skills were questioned before by insiders-McGrady solidified their case with what some would call defiance and Romper-Room tactics.