Rockets Star Tracy McGrady is afraid of New Orleans

It seems there's nothing easy about the Big Easy for Tracy McGrady.

...And there's Tim Hardaway and John Amaechi, sitting on a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. (He he... sorry I can't help it...) Yep, Tracy McGrady, that injury-prone Houston Rockets superstar who can suck and be great at the same time any given night, is afraid of New Orleans.

Oookaaay... So if Tracy McGrady's afraid of New Orleans, how in the hell can the NBA get this guy to play in the 2008 NBA All Star Game? For all ya'll who don't know it yet, the NBA's ''mid-season classic'' is going to New Orleans next year from last month's Las Vegas adventure, and Tracy McGrady doesn't like it one bit.

''When they first mentioned to me that the All-Star game was going to be in New Orleans, the first thing I thought about is how much security they are going to have for the players and everybody there,'' Tracy McGrady said.

''I don't think it's the right city to have this type of event right now. I know the city is in need of trying to get back on their feet, in need of money. Safety comes first. I'm sure they have to do a lot of research and look into before they really make this decision,'' the Houston Rockets star adds.

After the NBA held the 2007 All Star festivities in Las Vegas, there were hundreds of arrests reported. That ultimately led to these security issues becoming a larger concern.

''If I don't feel that I'm going to be safe, if I am on that team, I will look into probably not even going,'' Tracy McGrady said.

McGrady's comments came two days after union director Billy Hunter raised his concerns over New Orleans' ability to host the weekend's events, saying that, ''If the union is not convinced that the city can accommodate the All-Star game, it's an issue that will be subject to litigation between the union and the league.''

However, Hunter said he was just speaking hypothetically, and both he and NBA Basketball commissioner David Stern said they expect next year's weekend to be successful.

Suuure... Next year's NBA All Star Weekend in New Orleans will be an instant success after this.

Can Tracy McGrady lead the Houston Rockets to the NBA Playoffs? Who will win the 2007 NBA Championship? Here are some odds from Bodog:

Chicago Bulls 7/1

Detroit Pistons 9/1

Dallas Mavericks 7/2

Miami Heat 4/1 (boo!)

Want more odds? Visit OddsHQ for more NBA Basketball Odds and the best betting lines on some of today's biggest sporting events.

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