Tracy McGrady Scored 41 Points Against LeBron James In 2003 After His Childhood Friend Bet That LeBron Would Outscore Him

Tracy McGrady had to show his childhood friend who the boss was after he bet that LeBron James would outscore T-Mac in a game during his rookie year in 2003.

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Credit: Fadeaway World

Tracy McGrady was established as a rising superstar in the NBA when LeBron James came into the league in 2003. And like many other top talents in the league, he wanted to ensure he didn’t fall behind the hyped-up newcomer. 

LeBron James took to the NBA with ease, living up to all the expectations. And that led to one of Tracy McGrady’s friends betting that the rookie would outscore T-Mac when Orlando played Cleveland that year. McGrady told the story of how he responded. 

“Well, first and foremost, I had a bet with one of my guys,” McGrady said. “One of my childhood friends talking about, ‘Yo, bro, Bron coming to town, got all the hype behind him, can’t let him outscore you. I got a bet that he’ll outscore you.’ My own childhood friends.

“Bet… Bet. Think I’m about to let this young fella come into Orlando and outdo me? C’mon bro, you must be out of your rabbit-a** mind. Never. Respect? Nah, you gotta get this work, bro. I can’t go out like that.

“Bron was hitting some tough-a** shots that game. He hit one on me in the corner. And I was just looking like, ‘Really? Alright, come on down this way. Give me the ball.’ That’s what I was on, that’s what he was on, I loved it.”

This is an epic story, and the game he’s talking about was even more legendary. Both the Orlando Magic and the Cleveland Cavaliers were struggling that season, but that didn’t matter on Christmas day. LeBron James scored 34 points, shooting 13-28 from the floor and dishing out six assists. And McGrady was as good as his word, he outdid LeBron by scoring 41 points on 15-29 shooting and getting 11 assists in a 113-101 win.


Tracy McGrady’s Takes On LeBron James Have Changed Over The Years

LeBron James wasn’t getting outdone by other stars for long, he became the face of the league pretty quickly. He’s been an All-Star every year except his rookie season, and Tracy McGrady hasn’t always been the biggest fan. He has praised LeBron, once calling him the best in the league and picking him as the player to build a franchise around

But there have been times he has talked down on the King. He wasn’t too high on LeBron James breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record, which he was universally praised for. And Tracy McGrady once said Kawhi Leonard was better than LeBron James too. At least he got one over LeBron when the two clashed in his rookie season. 

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Divij Kulkarni is an NBA columnist for Fadeaway World. He has covered the NBA and the English Premier League, with 4 years of experience in creating sports content. Finding exciting and intriguing content about all things NBA is both his job and his passion. Divij loves the Dallas Mavericks and can be regularly observed getting emotional during games. Outside of basketball, he enjoys reading fantasy and sci-fi novels, consuming copious amounts of movies and TV, and spending time with his dog, Olivia. Expertise: NBA, Historical Sports ResearchFavorite Team: Dallas MavericksFeatured On HoopsHype, Sports Illustrated, Secret Base, MSNPrevious Work: Tribuna
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