Former NBA player Tracy McGrady made his professional baseball debut

Across a 15-year NBA career, Tracy McGrady scored over 18,000 points and went to seven All-Star games. Point is, things tended to come easily to him. 

On Saturday night, while making his professional baseball debut with the independent league Sugar Land Skeeters, McGrady had a bit more difficulty. The former roundball rocker lasted 1 2/3 innings and allowed two hits and two runs, one of those coming on former Major Leaguer Edwin Maysonet's home run off the foul pole. Interestingly enough, after working out with Roger Clemens this winter, McGrady's batterymate in his debut was none other than Clemens' son, Koby. 

Not that it's all bad news for McGrady. After all, a 10.80 ERA for a guy who just started pitching a few months ago is really quite good. And while McGrady's velocity was between 85-88 mph, for a guy standing 6-foot-8, it surely looks faster coming over the plate. 

Assuming that McGrady sharpens his command with some more time on the mound, the real matchup to look forward to is at the end of May. Because that's when the Skeeters take on the Bridgeport Bluefish and their staff ace, the now-knuckleballing Tomo Ohka (who just so happens to lead the Atlantic League with a 0.69 ERA through two starts).

A former NBA player taking on a knuckleballing veteran? That's the stuff baseball-viewing dreams are made of.