The Truth About Tracy McGrady's NBA Career

Let's take a dive into the details of Tracy McGrady's NBA career. How good was he actually? Hope you enjoy!
I make all kinds of NBA videos which include analysis, player stories, countdowns, and mysteries. Make sure to leave a like and subscribe if you enjoyed this video!
► Twitter: @AndyHoopsYT
► Music:
Floating Cities by Kevin MacLeod
Eternity by Kevin MacLeod
Available under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Find all of his songs and download them for free here: incompetech.com
► Sources:
Stats and box-scores from Basketball-Reference.com, NBA.com, Statmuse.com, PBPstats.com
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[@AisSora]

T-Mac will always be one of my favorite players, I'm ofc biased cause he was one of the players that blew me away and got me hooked to basketball. I'll always remember watching his 13 points in 33 seconds against San Antonio and being mesmerized by how good he is!

[@eliprimetime5677]

Me too

[@rapgodreloaded9259]

T Mac was a taller version of D Wade and LaMelo tbh.

[@Punkrides]

same here

[@ry_an.]

@@rapgodreloaded9259 he’s young Paul George without the defense

[@rapgodreloaded9259]

@@ry_an. Same thing I've said

[@slackerofhell]

I always found it interesting how TMac thought he'd be more of a player like Magic rather than the high scorer he's known for.

[@stujohn6569]

Probably because he was a similar height. He probably could’ve easily been a facilitator but the bad teams he was on needed his scoring (Orlando).

[@slackerofhell]

@@stujohn6569 I still wonder what would've happened if Vince Carter didn't get him traded. The two of them could've made a crazy duo at their peaks.

[@stujohn6569]

@@slackerofhell TMac left in free agency. He wasn’t traded. And yeah that’s always going to be a what if.

[@slackerofhell]

@@stujohn6569 ahhh that's right. I forgot about that. I also can't help but think about if Tim Duncan went to Orlando. Would've been an incredible duo. TMac doing the scoring and occasional playmaking while Timmy did the dirty work and occasionally scored/dropped dimes himself.

[@boris2997]

How do you know what he thought ? Where did you come up with this 💩

[@raymondsmith2040]

T-Mac was probably my favorite player in the early 2000s. Let his injuries be a warning to all young hoopers out there if you're gonna bulk up hit the legs first.

[@Ontiming2023]

It’s crazy how having a bad career lessens you as the goat here you have a guy who’s the same level as kobe an kobe literally is on tape saying that he could do every thing I do if kobe says that you know your elite they was going at it when Tracy was getting scoring titles the problem is he never made nobody better but we never seen him have the opportunity to who did he have off pure talent Tracy was up there in the top 6 all time off pure talent not career an talent just talent I have Tracy at 4 under Lebron at 3

[@314murdacapitall]

Who’s your favorite???

[@morphiongaming]

I fell in love with basketball and the NBA because of this guy. And I think I'm not the only one. That makes him a legend.

[@leclark5067]

Top 10-15 *modern player* Top 5 *scorer* He could've been as good as kobe but I look at him just like melo to lebron or like mourning to shaq, they're just a teir below but they can still lead, not carry, a team

[@NewAgeSlaves]

@@leclark5067 disrespectful considering alonzo and Melo had playoff runs

[@nmarkert01]

Same here dude. Him Vince and AI were what set the table for me to enjoy the association

[@jameszhao6479]

Same here brother. And this video brings tears in my eyes.

[@leclark5067]

@@NewAgeSlaves lead, not carry and they'll admit it. Like lebron carried, melo led with Chauncey and AI and the revolving doors in Denver or like when zo said shaq made all the difference when he went to miami

[@idipped2521]

Injuries robbed us of so many great careers- TMac, Greg Oden, Grant Hill, Derrick Rose, etc

[@agoodspoon6302]

Yao Ming

[@charlescaballero1722]

Brandon Roy 😑

[@fortynights1513]

Going further back, Bill Walton

[@blacknetsmed]

T Mac is a 7x All-Star and 7x All-NBA. He isn't a 'what if' story. He didn’t suffer a serious injury until his 9th year in the league. We saw Mcgrady's prime.

[@Negat1ve0n3]

Brandon Roy

[@DaffyTaffy93]

That game where Tracy Mcgrady scored 13 points in 35 seconds will always go down in history as one of the greatest moments in NBA hist-no fk that Sports history!

[@clydeflores8123]

I’d say the 2000s werent a boring era, its just because we got used to these threes and pace and space nowadays that we now think iso ball its boring. But back in the day we enjoyed it like how we enjoyed the nba now.

[@jakob9614]

Positions mattered. Defense was at the forefront. 30 point averages were something truly astonishing… Man the NBA was so different back then

[@jaylenflanagan1295]

@@jakob9614 Yep

[@ianosaurus27]

The 2000's WAS NOT BORING!!!

[@lifeofsui3864]

There was a lack of talent…..most teams have 1 super star….and no one else….

[@GarkKahn]

Defense was the best part

[@nbarealtalker]

T-Mac is basically one of those GOATS who never quite got to be a GOAT. But in those early 2000s he was the definition of a dominant player and all the signs were there.

[@gabrielalele8603]

💯

[@jay7949]

That acronym has been washed & has lost meaning

[@bjknochel2055]

@@jay7949 💯

[@Carlos-ms1yx]

Like D.Rose

[@sonnyallagonez5776]

@@jay7949 Straight Facts!

[@brucelau2023]

Man those first few seasons when T-Mac was in Orlando , he absolutely carried those teams and sadly Grant Hill was hurt in those years unfortunately

[@leclark5067]

Top 10-15 *modern player* Top 5 *scorer* He could've been as good as kobe but I look at him just like melo to lebron or like mourning to shaq, they're just a teir below but they can still lead, not carry, a team

[@tj5180]

@@leclark5067 t Mac wasn’t like melo that’s a insult when melo all he did was score and be a bad defender.

[@ballsballsballs3617]

@@tj5180 fr I don’t get that comparison, people also sleep on tmac as a defender the dude was an athletic freak and would block the living shit out of peopep😂

[@Ontiming2023]

It’s crazy how having a bad career lessens you as the goat here you have a guy who’s the same level as kobe an kobe literally is on tape saying that he could do every thing I do if kobe says that you know your elite they was going at it when Tracy was getting scoring titles the problem is he never made nobody better but we never seen him have the opportunity to who did he have off pure talent Tracy was up there in the top 6 all time off pure talent not career an talent just talent I have Tracy at 4 under Lebron at 3

[@RedGarnett-n2p]

Carry them where to a first-round exit

[@calebdouglas7622]

It’s sad that there’s a new generation that never had a chance to witness his greatness

[@Huey111]

He was drafted before i was born 🗿

[@Randomperson-zt3il]

@@Huey111 same here lol! I was born in ‘06

[@Yute01]

@@Huey111 Yeah, 01 here

[@MrE_]

Lol even the old generation couldn't witness him because of how often he was injured

[@JJuiicceee]

We’ll be ok. We have Kevin Durant

[@alfonsojohnson703]

Used to love watching him play and still love watching his games and wearing the shoes…fave era of basketball

[@Perciprius_91]

Hmmm interesting. McGrady said in an interview that the Rockets medical team would tell him and Yao were healthy enough to play when in fact they weren’t. This resulted in constant injuries.

[@itsehsanh]

Iverson and T-Mac. Two of my favorites growing up. the early 2000s NBA brings me back so much nostalgia.

[@Princespady]

The 2000s wasn’t a bad era it was just better defense being played

[@monkeyahh1343]

Couldn't have said it any better :)

[@dtowndtown9232]

exactly, when he showed that pacers and pistons clip with both teams scoring under 40 points in the 3rd quarter, it shows how superior defense was back in the day. Nowadays by halftime both teams have 60 points

[@szk00]

@@dtowndtown9232 maybe that means that offense is so great these days then? But seriously, I don't care about defending today's NBA (or any other era) but at the same time I don't like people talking about "the good ol days". Every era has it's strong and weak sides and they're objectively incomparable.

[@tutchiya781]

@@szk00 are you serious this era its the worst ever the era's goes by 2000s 1990s 1980s 2010s....2000s has the most talent ever and I'm not talking about superstars but all the league....the worst period of nba with the less talent was 2011-2014 look at the squads really east was so bad....about tmac him Durant and dirk was the only players that can't be matched and contest them you just wish they miss the shots....but tmac is the best player ever to watch and get moves if ou want to play bball the guy make everything look so easy

[@dtowndtown9232]

@@szk00 offense was great in the 2000’s as well, and teams were still held under 100 points after regulation. You could argue the offense has gotten stronger but defense has also gotten weaker, they took out hand checking, bodying your defender, added the defensive 3 seconds rule, which opens up the paint to score. NBA’s a scoring league nowadays.

[@CilantroJason7855]

He's fun to watch back in his prime and one of my fav to use in 2k games.

[@GarkKahn]

In the nba live days he was also a monster

[@jojetparedes4024]

I love watching T-Mac bounce the ball off the backboard and catch it back for a slam like it was a routine play...His gracefulness while doing jaw dropping moves is actually one of his best selling point.

[@leokizzo3515]

T-Mac is one player you had to have watched to understand how legendary of a player he was..Easily one of the most gifted players ever

[@MassiveJib]

He’s seriously one of the only guys I truly have remorse about not being able to watch

[@dc10000001]

The 13 points in 33 seconds was wild I’m a spurs fan and watched that honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that again. It’s like he went ultra instinct nothing could stop him.

[@jamiahwilson3901]

I remember T - Mac he was a one man gang especially in Orlando. Prime example of "one man can't do it all".

[@leatherface964]

T-Mac was my favorite player when he was in his prime. I was a Mavs fan, and T-Mac always scared me every time he shot the ball bc it felt like he made everything. T-Mac was a better shooter than Kobe, but Kobe was a better defender and played with more energy. If it wasn't for the injuries and if T-Mac had a better supporting cast, T-Mac would at least have 3 rings minimum. He's easily one of the best players I've ever seen

[@joemax4]

T-Mac carried Orlando for 4 years with his best teammate being Mike friggin Miller. No clue why people hold Orlando not getting out of the first round agains him when it took Garnett 8 playoff trips before he finally got out of the first round (and you could argue Garnett had the better supporting cast during those 8 trips).

[@AirRusher1992]

T-Mac is one of the favorite players of all-time. Yeah I know I didn't watch him during his prime years but you gotta admit he is such a terrific player and one of the most prolific scorers ever. Had he never got hurt, maybe he might've some championships.

[@jaysenbustamante9926]

Had he played with good teams he could’ve won he had a 7 year stretch we’re he was healthy and gave you over 20 a game during that time span. He is one of the best scorers of all time definitely Top 10 scorer

[@TellHerNothing]

No winning mentality or defense

[@rapgodreloaded9259]

T Mac was really more of a Scottie Pippen suited to be that sidekick on any championship squad.

[@slackerofhell]

I picture how different things mightve been if he didn't get traded out of Toronto. Him and Vince would've made an unreal duo. Or another wild duo couldve been him and Tim Duncan if he joined the Magic instead of staying with the Spurs.

[@blacknetsmed]

@@jaysenbustamante9926 Tracy Mcgrady played on good teams in Houston, how do you think the Houston Rockets won 50+ games 4 times out of 5 seasons in a grueling tough Western Conference. He wasn’t a good enough scorer to justify playing the way he played.

[@DC-lu3ii]

You perfect illustrated my love for early to mid 2000's NBA

[@DanielJ_Mart]

TMac played with two of my all time favorite players in Grant Hill and Vince Carter. The fact the Vinsanity and TMac were related always reminded me of my cousin and myself that loved playing basketball growing up.

[@nmarkert01]

Born and raise north of Boston. But Tmac and AI will ALWAYS be my guys. Nobody played like them for that era. They were truly shooting stars.

[@michaelthomas1087]

The story of how he found out that he and VC were related is hilarious😂

[@wazzup233]

Both of them are injury prone and ringless but VC had longer NBA career than his younger cousin.

[@famousxji1852]

Been waiting for Andy to make a video on the 6'9 Demi-Wing🔥 The elbow band, baggy fitted jersey and shorts, and long calf sleeve; he had the best fits out of any NBA I've ever seen. My dreams came true🔥

[@IzzyDunit]

It’s crazy cause even though he was never able to get past the first round he’s still listed as my favorite player just cause I tried to master his whole game it looked so simple yet very difficult to replicate he’s actually the best shot creators behind Kobe he’s literally one of the best shooting guards this game has ever seen He’ll never be forgotten

[@laser00]

you name 1 player to hit a shot about life or death it's Bird. 1 player to lead a team to victory it's Jordan - You want someone to get hooked on Basketball, you show him McGrady hooping!

[@aznpikachu215]

I wouldn't say the 2000s were a boring era. It's just we're more used to seeing this fast paced game + lots of 3 point shooting. And if roles are reversed with Kobe and T-Mac, maybe they'll win 1 ring. Like he didn't give much work ethic in practice. And it would depend on what teammates you put around him.

[@fortynights1513]

I would agree that the 2000’s were not a very well played era on paper. Defense was played pretty well from the looks of it, but offense was often inefficient, and if the mid 2000’s Suns would be slow today, then the pace was objectively slow when compared to the rest of history. But with that being said, the game had a lot of interesting teams, players and moments (my favorite players I’ve discovered in those years would probably be Shaq, Jermaine O’Neil, Tim Duncan, Kobe and Vince Carter to name five). This era also is my favorite one to watch clips and highlights of (after the old Sonics, the Pistons are probably my second favorite team), coming from someone who grew up then but didn’t follow the game until the past couple years. Another reason why this period is probably downplayed is because the finals don’t appear to be considered as good. Though you will find some good series in earlier rounds (Eastern Conference finals in particular had a few), and fun fact: From 1999-2008, about half of the teams in the league went to a conference final at least once. I didn’t grow up then, but I find the 2000’s the most interesting. That’s part of why I downloaded NBA Live 2004.

[@sergiodarosa1034]

@@fortynights1513 lmao hater

[@villedakilla6793]

The bad offenses in the 2000s led to some of the craziest heroics and most amazing performances in the history of basketball. Guys like Tmac, Vince and Melo would have been able to acomplish so much more if they were able to grow and develop in todays league. Still love that era of basketball though. Gave us so many good memories

[@aaa-dk6jr]

Easily 3 of top 5 most overrated players of all the time.

[@ivangale6438]

@@aaa-dk6jr yeah but easily top 5 most talented players ever With right program and coahcing in today leaguea they would killing Especilly Vince who is most talented player ever with his shooting and god giving abillites

[@Kap_NYC]

@@aaa-dk6jr Who?

[@JayJay-xy5ch]

@@aaa-dk6jr you wanna die?

[@fortynights1513]

@@aaa-dk6jr Given how many people already say Carter is overrated, I wouldn’t quite say he’s top five most overrated. Melo is probably the most overrated of those three. Even so, credit all three for carving out solid careers for themselves.

[@Eldedarko]

The 2002-2003 Mcgrady season was individuually amazing, specially in terms of offensive production. It was so hard score in that era. His offensive box Plus/Minus was 9.8 in this year. Kobe Bryant 2005-2006 (averaging 35.4 points per game) was 7.4 and Allen Iverson 2001-2002 (31,4 ppg) was 3.9. He was just crazy at his peak.

[@brucelau2023]

Truly it was that 2000s era when people saw Tracy McGrady’s greatness but also that offense in the 2000s were just brutal , definitely not much pick and roll offenses

[@yungface012]

Not pick In roll , plays where called , screens where ran , back door .

[@MrFinster53]

TMac deserves to be in the HoF, hes one of the greatest scorers of his generation. I also have always heard he had back issues due to one of his legs being slightly longer than the other which can also cause imbalances.

[@danielvasquez3758]

Another great Andy video!! Love to see it!!

[@marlonalatiit1609]

Tmac’s one of my fave player in 2k. Im dying to have his magic jersey even back then

[@thebestcentaur]

I had his shoes with the floor wood in them. Awesome player, but injuries stacked up and he never had a prayer to win anything significant with any team he was on. Still a deserving HoFer in my book

[@hondomclean6759]

Tmac 5 was an awesome shoe

[@alainsurpris8425]

My favorite player growing up I remember I was in 3rd and 4th grade I used to argue to my grave that he was better than Kobe while with the magic. Kills me his injuries took his career away 😢

[@KingKufu38]

The most naturally talented player I’ve ever seen. This man had no weaknesses and had a crazy handle @ 6ft8in

[@RobertLewis85]

I remember T-Mac on the Rockets. That was a contending team if he could have stayed healthy.

[@icanhazgoodgame3845]

Great player and explosive scorer. Injuries and poor playoff performances held him from GOAT status.

[@dominiclee5786]

I only remembered Tracy McGrady and Mike Miller at Orlando Magic back then.

[@Tava]

I think he said it best. He had so much raw talent there wasn't really a need to train. You see the same thing in sports (and even things like esports) to this day where people are so naturally good they can complete at the top level without trying but never reach the true potential they are capable of

[@banhale3618]

life is good when Andy dropped a video

[@silverpaev2445]

NBA in the early 2000s was much better than today because of players like T-Mac, Kobe, Shaq, MJ and many more were around not like todays NBA games where everybody is shooting only 3-s. Basically whoever is shooting better 3-s wins and this is wrong. Scores around 70-80 points are much better then 110-120s. Take a look at the Euroleague - where games are more exciting.

[@danielelez4863]

Loved using him even in 2k11, 12, and 13. Even as a shell of himself, 2k did something that made it really easy to use tmac

[@stephendavid1875]

Tmac deserved to be a hall of famer no doubt about it. It's quite sad that he didn't have success in the playoffs and gets injured many times. I don't care what other people say about him he's one of the unstoppable force and scorer of all time he impact the game so much. He will be my favorite player all time.

[@lLarceny]

Personally, I don't think T-mac would have won 3 if he switched places with kobe. He said it himself, work ethic. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard. Sitting here speculating and being real, there were a bunch of people who had potential to have on par or BETTER careers than Kobe, they just didn't have the drive that kept Kobe on top.

[@GetBenched2010]

McGrady was a paycheck player who could only ball when he was the only guy on the floor. Hell, he left the Raptors because his cousin got more press. Nuff said.

[@crimsoncoconut2421]

andy, you forgot to mention that he got mild scoliosis where he is projected by scouts and those kinda guys 4 years of playing time max because of his condition. please please mention that always when making a docu about t-mac. thats also where the back spasms happened since he already have it early on in his career, just not much. but yeah muscle imbalance played a part too. just saying though, still love your content man!

[@BallinRiceBowl]

I feel like his cultural impact warrants quite a bit for him to make it first ballot. That point of him being seen as that good through nostalgia means his impact on the game of basketball was that great.

[@mistermann3225]

Hey Andy, I like this vid overall. Your mistaken about TMac and his conditioning. McCrady was actually diagnosed with a degenerative back condition in HS, before he went to the NBA. His doctor told him may play only 5 - 8 yrs tops. He actually started missing games w back issues later in his tenure w the Magic. And if the back goes, everything else fails from there. Maybe also a reason he didn't go balls to the wall at practice. He actually played longer and better than he had any right to. Hope this clears the T-Mac injury question up. Thanks for the vid Andy.

[@brightgreenfuzzyball3000]

Thanks for the passion man and getting T-MAC here in H-Town was like getting prime KD. It really felt like we could win one with him and he was so on that pace and then Yuo and him just got plagued with injuries. Truly as a fan of him as player before the Rockets landed him, I think alot of us fans wish he would have realized what they had in Toronto. I think they could have won a title ,so do alot of us that where young adults during this very competitive time in the league. Telln ya prime McGrandy was like having a taller Kobe , but still I seen Kobe had a killer instinct that was that it factor that stood out about Kobe though. Everyone wanted a Kobe Bryant.

[@tenzinalexander]

I saw every game that T-Mac played and it was like watching a video game. I thought he was better than Kobe, and I am not the only saying that- I had NBA League Pass and there were commentators who thought T-Mac was better and more efficient. I thought he was more fun to watch than Kobe, IMO- he was taller and he just looked ungodly when he was going on a tear. Most kids these days only know him from his Rockets days but he already regressed a bit when he went to Houston because of his back.

[@dannydonvito]

00s basketball was a true battle against eachother. It was slower sure but it was very entertaining

[@marcomcdowell8861]

There are guys who are/were entertaining, and players that you worry/worried about ending your favorite team's season. McGrady was entertaining, but definitely didn't concern folks in postseason play. Now that was partially due to the teams he played for and their construction around him, and on him as a player. He got his but didn't elevate anyone around him by play or will. He was definitely must-see basketball and one of the few players I paid money to watch when in town.

[@brianholleran6340]

its why as great as bird was. he was just something different.. after his injuries when he could barely move those last 3 yrs he still averaged 22 9 and 7 with no significant or any fluctuation. yet players like tracy pippen and hill fell off cliffs when they got injured... just shows how truly skilled and smart bird was.

[@rosselliswilkinson]

Birds fundamentals and high basketball iq is what separated him

[@wgcoyote2980]

First Penny then TMac are the reasons I fell in love with bball. The fact that there were serious debates about who you’d build your team around (kobe or Tmac) should tell you how great he was in that period of time.

[@theman2k7]

Him and Kobe the reason I started playing basketball man !

[@ksquareshow4480]

When he was in Orlando, he had to guard the other teams best player and on the other side of the court someone else was guarding him. If anyone else had to deal with this they would’ve had a lot of miles out on them quickly

[@Noblesavage31]

Thanks for this video. I thought you did this one already though

[@primetimemiles15]

5:56 Frobe 😂😂😂

[@timlamiam]

For me, him and Yao Ming on the Rockets will always be how i remember him because that was my team on 2k8 lol

[@oftfnas]

Tracy could've been the 3rd best sg of all time if injuries were turned off.

[@alexescutia4805]

Naw d wade with good knees still taking it

[@trebledc]

The rings and conference finals would tell the how good is the player.

[@AlihanOlcar]

Great work!

[@vinkata]

I love the nostalgia element 🤩

[@FreshUnlimitedMusic]

My fav player as a kid . Live 06 with him on the cover was lit at that time 🔥🔥🔥. For a good period him and Kobe was comparable . That’s my boy

[@golvellius6855]

This tells you that just by pure talent you ain't going anywhere, still humble yourself and physically and mentally train will go a long way

[@Uzair_Of_Babylon465]

Fantastic video keep it up you're doing amazing job

[@Dreadavelithegod8388]

That post game interview is still sad today cuz he really gave everything n then some that game but still got blown out 😩😩😩 plus this my brother favorite player 💯💯💯

[@thepiratepenguin_]

I always thought it was weird that TMac didn't want to play in Vince's shadow in Toronto, but was completely okay playing with superstar(s) Grant Hill and Tim Duncan in Orlando.

[@seventrepound7352]

When did Tim Duncan play for the magic?

[@Wabbajaxe]

@@seventrepound7352 TIm Duncan was supposed to sign or be traded to Orlando. Spurs were able to convince him to stay

[@thepiratepenguin_]

@@seventrepound7352 almost in 2000, before Doc Rivers screwed it up for Orlando.

[@tj5180]

@@seventrepound7352 in the 2000

[@cody6009]

I still remember having a pair of the first t Mac bb shoes those still are 🔥 today.

[@duhGOATman]

Remember checking sportscenter every morning before school to see his insane numbers he would put up every game he played or his sweet highlights every other day in canada we never really got any televised basketball other than raptors.

[@necrophagiakc]

Mcgrady was super super huge in NBA merchandise here in NYC his jersey was everywhere and I mean everywhere all styles

[@torenjohnson2585]

Ive been a rockets fan since the 90s and the tmac and yao squads were hands down my favs after the 1st year champion squad.

[@solomonnichols2969]

Respectfully, your timeline is off when it comes to the Jazz series. They played them in back to back years. The press conference you posted was they year they went to game 7, where he had 29pts, 13 asts and Van Gundy was the coach. The year after there was no Yao and Bobby Jackson was the starting PG for the playoffs, Adelman was the coach. That series went to 6.

[@michaelthomas1087]

To think that Tim Duncan was gonna join him on the Magic but due to family not being allowed to ride with players is why he didn’t is wild

[@himekomurata72]

And ofcourse Doc Rivers is the reason why it didn't happen 💀

[@michaelthomas1087]

@@himekomurata72 lmfaooooo right

[@LonghornsLegend]

Everytime I play 2k throwback McGrady and Penny are two that I always have to run with. Ahead of their time with their play style, body, and where the league was at

[@anthonyclark9441]

He was my favorite Player because he was drafted by my favorite Player, and I was all in on the Canadian Expansion Teams back then.

[@Mike-zy8in]

my bros go KZbin - are you a good person by living waters

[@guesswhonot1620]

Tracy McGrady is the definition of a player who had all the skills to be great, but didn't possess a winning mentality. To me, that's why he has a case to be the most overrated player ever; People fail to acknowledge that fact.

[@jlui21]

- I have 3 things for/against TMac. a) He was screwed by injuries. First GHill and then a distant 2nd was Yao (both he and Yao were cooked). b) Orlando couldn't get/find/trade for better players (again, GHill probably ate up cap space) c) He was talented and thus coasted at times. Talent wise, way better than Kobe. Hard work-wise...that can trump talent. Good on Kobe. P.s. We only saw a peak Mac at age 23/24. Real physical primes start at age 27-30.

[@Dame-Dame-Dame]

Unconsciously I made myself a Texas Team fan. I'm a fan of Big 3's teamwork and dominance, I love Dirk's heart of the game in overcoming circumstances, and I love TMac's highlight reels. Then I just realized that thier teams are from Texas which I support until now, Even though Spurs and Rockets have fallen off and tanking.

[@idipped2521]

He was nearly as good as Kobe before getting injured then he wasn’t. That sums up his career

[@Rellx305]

I always got his shoes when it came out. Wished he played for Miami but he looked so good in Orlando jersey

[@enanebres6481]

Love this content

[@jamaaldagreatest2748]

I say if T-Mac and Shaq played together, he does get a ring or two but not three, and not four straight finals appearances. Yes he was very similar to Kobe in skillset, however it's a rare and select few that have Kobe's IQ. Obviously the work ethic gets talked about to death and yes that's one aspect of it (out of many many different contributing factors) but Kobe's IQ and willingness to know when to sit back and when to step on the gas, how to fit into his role and get his shots without detracting from the team, make defensive adjustments and play the game like it's a chess matchup instead of just putting the ball into the basket gives him the edge in my opinion. Also if T-Mac and Shaq had a falling out I think it'd show up more so in his game than Kobe's (though of course that's just speculation.) Tracy could give you an almost effortless 40 point game, but his work ethic was lacking at times. It felt like he only cared about getting his numbers up and not actually playing winning ball or doing the little things that go unnoticed on a stat sheet. None of this is to detract from his greatness, give him his flowers. He's one of the best scorers the NBA has ever seen and also among some of the best players ever , I just think in a scenario where Kobe and T-Mac are replaced with one another T-Mac doesn't get the same amount of accolades that Kobe did.

[@ry_an.]

Kobe knowing when to step back? 😂😂 You gotta be kidding. Kobe shot the lakers out of the 2004 finals cause he was mad shaq was getting more touches

[@jamaaldagreatest2748]

@@ry_an. I was more so talking ab when he wasn't fully established for the first 2 or so rings, and even then until they won the third ring, Kobe knew how to play effectively enough to compliment Shaq's game and get his shots within that flow

[@danielvasquez3758]

Tracy shouldn’t have left teams so soon!! Stay and build man!! That could’ve been the difference!!!

[@TellHerNothing]

All the stars tmac played with were some of the most injury prone players ever like grant & yao

[@crazylegendstevenson4906]

@@TellHerNothing if he stayed with the magic Dwight n him woulda been dangerous

[@liuzeyuan]

still remember his shoes from early 2000s and that interview...

[@donnielovell7536]

My favorite player

[@lpy1102]

this dude had low efficiency even lower than Westbrook during his entire career, and he never made it to 2nd round when he is relevant

[@jayfiggs4656]

LA with Shaq? TMac and him would've won 1 championship. It's like you addressed Tracy wasn't a hard worker, Shaq was also not a hard worker. It wouldn't have lasted. It did with Kobe because Shaq said himself that eventhough he didn't give it all he knew Kobe would drop 40 a night.

[@RightHandKam]

I liked t-mac. He was one of my favorite players of that. I was 10 when he got drafted by the Raptors

[@ninjaluc79]

A great player. Just couldn't stay healthy, and he was cursed with never getting out of the first round as the man on his team.

[@Savo.c]

If kobe & tmac swap teams from 2000-2004. You get the same results with tmac & shaq.

[@TellHerNothing]

STOP LYING kobe was guarding the best player on the other team EVERYNIGHT while giving em 30 points

[@Savo.c]

@@TellHerNothing I give you that but, with tmacs ability to go toe to toe with anybody on the floor with his crazy athleticism creates a mix match for 1-3 positions on the floor. The offense would probably be a little more efficient with tmac running it. You can’t tell me with the help of shaq in the middle they don’t dominate as well.

[@Lordeightbane]

I don’t think him and Shaq would’ve the same result. He would’ve gotten at least title in his prime but his player style probably wouldn’t with the lakers offense

[@OJGLOVE]

T-Mac and the Magic vs the Atlanta Hawks was my first NBA game

[@rene.s.s]

Not only did T Mac get injured, but the teammates he needed were also injured.

[@joelalvarado6364]

One of the greatest players of the 2000s no doubt

[@JayMke]

Tmac was great I remember him being my favorite player in 2004-05

[@Seagull88788]

for whatever reason players like him back then seem to had me so much more excited to watch backet ball. Now im not even curious to see what happens on the court