The Real Reason Why Michael Jordan Refused To Talk Trash To Tracy McGrady During His Rookie Season With Raptors

Tracy McGrady has revealed the curious reason why Michael Jordan refused to talk trash to him.

4 Min Read

Credit: Fadeaway World

• Michael Jordan’s trash-talking antics are extremely well-known

• Tracy McGrady revealed that Jordan elected to not talk trash to him and the Raptors when he was a rookie

• The reason behind that was probably more insulting than any trash talk on the court

Playing against Michael Jordan had to have been an incredible experience for rookies who entered the league idolizing him. While it ended up going well for players like Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson, stars like Tracy McGrady had a different experience. 

McGrady revealed the story of one of his first encounters with MJ on the court, coming when Jordan openly announced he wouldn’t trash-talk the Raptors because they’re a bad team.

“We weren’t a very good team at that time so I’m sure he was like, ‘There’s no need to even waste my trash talking on this sorry a*s team.’”

McGrady then revealed that the trash-talking was out in full force during the All-Star Weekend.

“I don’t recall him talking any trash when he was with the Wizards but I didn’t have any run-ins. Now on All-Star Weekend? Of course, Mike talked sh*t because we’re all there together. There’s a lot of locker room sidebar conversations and chattin’ about certain things but I can’t really pinpoint what those conversations were about but, you do hear the chatter with Mike and him talking sh*t to guys.”

McGrady averaged 24.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 8 games over his career in games against Jordan, while Jordan averaged 20.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game in that stretch. The head-to-head series is 5-3 in MJ’s favor.

MJ was at the end of his career by the time McGrady emerged as a star, so it would be interesting to see their styles clash if they were both in their primes.


Michael Jordan Ended His Career As A Star

Even though MJ wasn’t the best version of himself by the final two seasons of the Bulls dynasty, he was still far better than 99% of the players in the league. That level of dominance is insane. MJ averaged 29.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game in his final two seasons with the Bulls before stepping away from the sport.

When he came back with the Wizards in the 2001-02 season, MJ still managed to be one of the best players in the league. He averaged 21.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists over his Wizards tenure, effortlessly averaging 20 points and playing 82 games in his final season

They don’t make ’em like Mike anymore. The six-time Finals MVP rewrote NBA history with his name and will likely be considered the GOAT by most fans for the foreseeable future.

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is a content manager for Fadeaway World from New Delhi, India. With his expertise in NBA content creation, Ishaan brings a wealth of experience to his role, contributing to the site's authority and reach within the basketball community. Over the last year, Ishaan has interviewed Ray Allen and Mark Tatum, while also covering the 2023 NBA Abu Dhabi Games which saw the Dallas Mavericks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.Since joining Fadeaway World in March 2022, Ishaan Bhattacharya has become known for his unique perspective on the NBA. He consistently delivers this insight through his daily news coverage and detailed opinion pieces on the most significant topics in the league.Before his tenure at Fadeaway World, Ishaan worked in corporate communications, where he serviced prominent sports brands, including NBA India, Sports18, Amazon Prime Sports, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. This experience in strategic communications for leading sports entities has enhanced his ability to craft impactful narratives and connect with a global audience.A true MFFLer (Mavs Fan for Life, for the uninitiated), Ishaan is a massive fan of the Dallas Mavericks. When he is not upset about Jalen Brunson walking in free agency, you can see Ishaan as an avid gamer and content creator. His passion for basketball extends beyond the Mavericks, as evidenced by his thoughtfully curated NBA Mount Rushmore, featuring LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell—each representing distinct eras and bringing their unique qualities to the game.Featured On: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher ReportYahoo Sports, NBA, Fox Sports, The Spun
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