Michael Jordan is usually regarded as the best player to ever play in the NBA. Jordan’s time with the Chicago Bulls was when he truly dominated the league and added several accolades to his resume while simultaneously having an unseen impact on the popularity of the league.
With that being said, every aspiring athlete in the 1990s dreamed of facing Michael Jordan at least once in their career. Many may have dreamed of doing so, but not many got the chance to do so. Basketball Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady got that chance during the early years of his NBA career.
When we talk about McGrady and Michael Jordan, most remember the time when T-Mac was almost traded to the Bulls for Scottie Pippen, but MJ vetoed the deal. But today, our focus is on McGrady facing off against Jordan.
Tracy McGrady Shared His Two Early Encounters With Michael Jordan
Fans can never get bored with hearing stories about Michael Jordan and his faceoff with young players in the league. During an appearance on the ‘All The Smoke’ podcast, McGrady provided fans with juicy details about his two early encounters with ‘His Airness.’
(Starts at 0:40)
1997, MJ’s in the playoffs. I think they played against the Hawks. I’m at the game, playoff game. Bro, I got an opportunity to go in the back by the locker room after the game. So, I’m standing back there. I’m 17 years old, kid. … Mike comes round that corner, bro, I ain’t gonna lie to you. The man had a glow, bro. I swear. Mike, dog, that s*** is real. … Mike came out, I was like, ‘Damn, bro.’ I didn’t know what to say. I was like, ‘That’s MJ, dog. That’s MJ.”
He continued, “So, fast forward, I’m on the court with him my rookie year,” the Florida native continued. “It took me about a quarter to get over the fact that it’s Mike, right? But, man, once it wore, you know, that mystique wears off when you’re around somebody for a long time. It wears off. It’s like, ‘OK, s***, let’s get it.’ I damn near had my best game as a rookie playing against him. I almost had a triple-double. In front of 30,000, you know, we played in the SkyDome. 30,000. Mike had them coming in there, bro. And that was the year they had, what, 72-10? We was one of them 10.”
He concluded, “Mike had about 35. He probably had like 12 on me, easy. I’m like, ‘Man, this Mike, bro.’ I had to get his a** back when he was with the Wizards, though. ‘You a** 38 years old. You putting up 50. You still got game, but you gotta get this work.”
As McGrady explained, Jordan may have gotten the better of him during his rookie year, but T-Mac took revenge against MJ during his Washington Wizards days. By that time, Jordan was out of his prime but still a great player, and outplaying him was still considered a great feat.
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