Vince Carter spent the night trying to digest some unsavory remarks made by Tracy McGrady and members of T-Mac's family and entourage.
The Raptors franchise player admitted yesterday the written broadsided attack made him sick to his stomach.
"I slept on it and it's over with, but it's definitely tough to swallow,'' Carter said. "I was surprised. It hurt a little bit, but that's the way it goes.
"I guess when you feel they (McGrady and his associates) think one way, they leave and I guess the truth comes out.''
The comments that upset Carter appear in the recent edition of ESPN The Magazine. In the piece, McGrady salivates at the thought of playing his distant cousin one-on-one in a game.
The Raptors and Orlando Magic, who acquired McGrady in a lucrative sign-and-trade deal last week, play three times this coming NBA season -- Jan. 23 and April 6 in Orlando and April 1 at the Air Canada Centre.
In addition to McGrady's challenge, T-Mac's mom, Melanise, seems almost jealous that her son was forced to play under Carter's shadow in Toronto.
One of McGrady's sycophants said in the piece that Carter and T-Mac weren't really that close.
"I don't want to make it appear that it's a battle where it's he says, he says,'' Carter said. "I don't want to get caught up in that. It's not necessary and maybe that's what they (McGrady's handlers) want. I'm not going to do that. If that's how they feel, then that's how they feel.
"He (McGrady) has a job to do and I have a job to do. He says he wants to play me in the season and we'll see.''
Carter says he had no idea that any member of McGrady's party had a problem with the Raptors superstar, who will represent the U.S. at next month's Olympics in Sydney.
Carter was asked to rank, on a scale of one to 10, the pain he felt after reading the comments.
"It was pretty high,'' Carter said. "It was higher than five. I'm not going to say 10 because I wasn't pissed off, but it was kind of in the middle where you think about it and move on.''
Carter refers to McGrady as a "big weapon'' on last year's playoff team, but feels the Raptors still will be a good squad without T-Mac.
Whether the Raptors can make the playoffs without McGrady is yet to be seen. Adding free-agent point guard Mark Jackson helps, but McGrady's unique skills at both ends of the floor made him irreplaceable.
Carter doesn't feel the Raptors will take a step back, but at the same time he admits the challenge of winning 45 games and making the playoffs without McGrady will be tough.
"We might not make the playoffs, but it's important for us to have an impressive season so that guys next year who are free agents would want to play here,'' Carter said.
Carter says he has tried to lure free agents to Toronto and has spoken with Raptors general manager Glen Grunwald.
For the first time in his brief career, Carter admits he would like to one day work in a front office of a team.
"I'm interested,'' Carter said. "I try to understand all the aspects of the game -- on and off the court. It's frustrating when a free agent comes close to signing, but it's getting better.
"Guys are considering Toronto. You just have to be patient.''