LAKELAND, FL — Before Tracy McGrady was a seven-time NBA All-Star or Hall of Famer, he was a standout at Auburndale High School. 

Current Auburndale boys basketball coach Eric Robinson remembers how dominant McGrady was, even back then. 

"I saw him play all of his high school games and he was just remarkable,” Robinson said. 

A talent that is rare, especially for a small town. 

“I grew up in probably the biggest drug hold in Polk County, in my neighborhood,” McGrady recalled. "I just remember being young, and my neighborhood protecting me because they saw the potential in me.”

McGrady says, “it takes a village,” and Auburndale was that village for him.  

"I didn’t get caught up in the wrong crowd, in the wrong areas, and for my community to protect the kid that was a jewel for them, it meant the world to me.” 

That’s one reason why McGrady has always wanted to give back to his hometown. 

"I think a lot of these kids, especially in my neighborhood, because I’ve walked those streets, I know how tough it is, they need somebody to look up to and gain that inspiration from, and hopefully I am that guy,” McGrady said. 

He has now created a place for those kids and their families to gather — fittingly named, Homecourt. The new restaurant is in Lakeland, close to where McGrady grew up in Polk County. 

"To have these kids around here and families, to be able to go to a place and enjoy themselves, have a great atmosphere, great food, and I’d be the one who would create that for them,” McGrady said. 

It’s more than a restaurant. It’s a place for families to celebrate everyday moments. 

"I have a family of four. Four kids and my wife. To sit down around a dinner table, and have a discussion of just what took place in school today, or how did your day go, that’s what we want to do here,” McGrady said.

Opening a restaurant is the latest on his post-NBA resume. When his 15-year basketball career was over, a new life began — as a TV analyst, businessman, and sports agent. 

"I just started a sports agency,” McGrady said. "I’m trying to get it while I’m still young and moving.” 

His biggest motivation remains the same. 

"I know my cards could have been dealt differently, and I would want somebody that’s in that position to come back and be an inspiration to me and that’s what I try to be,” McGrady said. "Try to set an example.” 

Robinson has seen the impact McGrady has made on Auburndale’s basketball program through the years. 

"I know with my basketball guys, he’s really done a lot for us,” Robinson said. "Been around a lot, shows his face, comes in plays with the guys.” 

Homecourt continues McGrady’s legacy in Polk County.

"It means the world to me to come out of a small town and be able to make it to the heights where I made it and still come back to my community and receive the love,” McGrady said. "If you can’t go back home, you can’t go anywhere, right? It’s a beautiful thing.”