Shaquille O’Neal recently released the latest episode of his podcast, where he spoke to the veteran NBA twins, Marcus and Markieff Morris. O’Neal used this episode as an opportunity to double down on his take of potentially winning three NBA championships with Tracy McGrady.
He first asked his guests, the Morris Twins, what they felt about McGrady’s opinion. Here’s how their conversation went.
Shaquille O’Neal: “T-Mac said the other day, ‘If you switch him and Kobe out as far as playing with me, the outcome is the same.’ You agree or disagree?”
Markieff Morris: “No, you’re not just saying you’re switching out with Kobe and you’re going to be what Kobe was. That’s not–.”
Marcus Morris: “Yeah. I don’t agree with that.”
Markieff Morris: “Taking nothing away from T-Mac. No, you’re not Kobe.”
Marcus Morris: “Yeah. And that mentality, too.”
Shaquille O’Neal: “I might have to disagree.”
Marcus Morris: “I don’t know, though. You know what my main difference is, though, big fella is the mentality. Like that killer mentality, everybody didn’t have that. Like you were a good player, he was a great player, don’t get me wrong, but it was times that Mike and Kobe, I felt like Mike gave Kobe something that nobody else would be able to even imitate and be able to have that mentality. A lot of players never; no other players had it.”
Shaquille O’Neal: “I agree with what you’re saying, but I’m saying I didn’t look at it like that. That’s why I like everybody’s opinion. You don’t think I could have won three with T-Mac? I think I could have. T-Mac was a bad boy… T-Mac was a bad boy.”
Marcus Morris: “Outside of T-Mac, you could say a lot of them put him next to you at that time.”
Shaquille O’Neal: “Good point. All right. What about Vince? Vince and I, I feel like three in a row.”
Markieff Morris: “I feel like people downplay Vince. They just think he’s a dunker. Vince was one of the most talented players.”
Marcus Morris: “I believe the same thing.”
Shaquille O’Neal: “Actually, when he said that, a lot of people hit me up. But T-Mac was a bad boy.”
Earlier this summer, Tracy McGrady claimed that he never had sufficient help to win a championship, and if he had played with Shaquille O’Neal instead of Kobe Bryant, he would also have three NBA championships with him.
Subsequently, earlier this month, Shaquille O’Neal publicly agreed with him during his interview on ‘Off the Record’ podcast and went as far as to say he would have won six championships with Stephen Curry, three with Tracy McGrady, and two with Vince Carter.
McGrady joined the Orlando Magic only a few years after O’Neal signed with the Lakers. If the duo had played together on the Magic, maybe this could’ve come true. There was even a point where he could’ve joined O’Neal and Bryant on the Lakers, but Jerry Buss vetoed that trade.
Tracy McGrady averaged 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in his 15-year NBA career, while Kobe Bryant averaged 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists across his 20-year NBA career.
Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant were drafted only one year apart in the NBA, but had very different trajectories in their careers. McGrady’s career was riddled with injuries, while Bryant was able to carry his team to multiple championships in 2009 and 2010.
Shaquille O’Neal was so dominant in his prime that he could carry almost anyone to a championship at the time. So if the argument is ‘Could Shaq carry Tracy McGrady to three NBA championships?’ The hypothetical answer is most likely, yes.
But several non-tangible factors like player chemistry and team strategies come into play to give a definite answer to that question.
