Tracy McGrady is one of the greatest scorers to play in the NBA over the last 20 years. T-Mac dazzled fans around the world with his immaculate skill to go with some crazy athleticism as he won back-to-back scoring titles with the Orlando Magic in 2003 and 2004.
It was often a big debate back in those days about who was better, McGrady or Kobe Bryant, which should tell you just how great he was. Bryant even once said that McGrady was the toughest player he ever had to guard, which is very high praise from the Black Mamba. In a recent appearance on the Alex Kennedy Podcast, McGrady was asked if there were any current players who reminded him of himself, and he gave that honor to Paul George and Kevin Durant.
(starts at 9:38 mark):
“Paul George and KD is always two guys that I refer to. Just being that height, being able to shoot, being creative off the dribble, those two always come to mind when comparing myself.”
Those are two pretty good comparisons, no doubt with George and KD being some of the more silky smooth scorers in the NBA today, like Tracy was during his time. It is a shame that injuries meant McGrady wasn’t able to sustain that level for an extended period of time, but he still had an amazing career, highlighted by 7 All-Star selections and 2 First-Team All-NBA honors.
McGrady also spoke about his relationship with Bryant during the interview, revealing that he stayed with their family when he was 18, and he spoke about what a young Kobe was like. These two truly could have formed one of the more iconic rivalries in the modern NBA, but it just was not meant to happen. All we can do is cherish some of those epic moments that we did get between them.
