ATLANTA -- Tracy McGrady's consistency is reflected in his NBA-best 30.4 scoring average. He can be persistent, too, especially when it comes to honoring Michael Jordan.

McGrady will try for a second time to give his starting spot in Sunday's NBA All-Star Game to Jordan, who'll be making his 14th and final appearance.

"He opened a lot of doors for guys like myself and other guys. It's all about respect and 'Thank you,'" McGrady said Friday.

Jordan has already said no thanks to McGrady and Allen Iverson when they offered to give their spots in the Eastern Conference starting lineup. McGrady planned to take another shot at persuading Jordan before Sunday night's tipoff.

"I hope he does, I think it will be great, not only for myself but for the fans as well and for the game," McGrady said. "We are going to do something and try to convince him as a team. That's all we can do and if he doesn't take it, we tried."

Vince Carter, McGrady's distant cousin and former Toronto Raptors teammate, was voted as a starter by the fans, even though knee problems have limited him to 15 games this season.

Carter, like Jordan a former star at North Carolina, has taken a different approach than McGrady or Iverson, disagreeing with those who say he's the one who should forfeit his starting role.

"There are a lot of guys who could step aside," Carter said. "I feel I owe these fans. They had enough belief in me and felt I should be out there as a starter. So why should I slap these fans in the face, even though you had the courage and guts to vote for me?"

"I understand the other side. But it's one person -- who is the greatest, don't get me wrong -- or a million-plus that is going to be disappointed," Carter added. "I think the fans are what make it."

McGrady sympathized with Carter's position.

"He's in a tough situation whatever he does," McGrady said. "If he gives the spot up, everybody is going to say, 'Oh look at Vince, he's trying to make himself look good now.' If he doesn't give it up, which he said he wasn't, they'll say, 'He's a bad guy and doesn't have any respect.'"

Perhaps, though, if Jordan doesn't start, he'd get a bigger ovation than he would by taking he floor with all the other starters at the beginning of the game.

Regardless, everyone will be watching and reflecting on what made Jordan so special.

Jordan turns 40 on Feb. 17. Asked what he'll be doing at that age, Amare Stoudemire -- the 20-year-old Phoenix Suns rookie who will compete in the dunk contest and the rookie game -- shakes his head. Will he still be playing?

"At 40?" Stoudemire says with a laugh. "I don't know. I've got a lot of time to figure out what I'm going to do."

One thing is for sure: Stoudemire knows what Jordan has meant to the game and the younger generation of players.

"Without the old school, there would be no new school. They've created a good path for us," Stoudemire said.

For defending dunk champion Jason Richardson, it was Jordan's approach as much as his talent that has made him great.

"He always played every game like he was never going to play again. That's what I like most about him," Richardson said.

Jordan, who skipped Friday's media availability, has tried to downplay what is expected to be his final season. He's retired twice before and returned, but he's said this time he's quitting for good and going to go back to the Washington Wizards' front office.

He doesn't want a farewell tour, or to be the center of attention at the All-Star game, but it's too late for that: He's going to be the subject of a TV special and a musical tribute.

Shaquille O'Neal doesn't sense that Jordan's final All-Star appearance will be an overly emotional one, just an experience many will remember.

"The only thing that will go through me is that I will be happy that I'm there, be happy I was here for this moment," O'Neal said.

"And when my kids get to an older age and we start talking about great players, I can tell them there was this guy one time named Michael Jordan, and he did this and he did that."