Kids may not know the full extent of just how electric of a player Tracy McGrady was in his prime. McGrady had it all. He had incredible size for his position (6'8), he had handles 90 percent of point guards could only dream of having, he could stroke it from deep as well as anyone (in fact, he was ahead of his time when it comes to utilizing the three-ball), and to top it all off, he had incredible athleticism that allowed him to finish at the rim with ease.
However, time hasn't exactly been too kind to fan perception towards McGrady. McGrady, as a lead guy, never made it past the first round of the playoffs and due to the injury problems he dealt with for most of his career, he didn't amass the statistical totals that put him among the best of the best to ever play the game. But the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee still holds his head high even though he didn't reach the heights his talent certainly made him capable of reaching.
Speaking on the “Pat Bev Pod” with Patrick Beverley, Tracy McGrady said that in his heyday, he was deserving of being in the best player in the league conversations alongside Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.
“That was a conversation of who was the best players in the league,” McGrady said. “It was me and Kobe — of barbershop talk and around the league. Real hoopers, real basketball people know.”
@PatBevPod 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/boAQTkbUc1
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) July 25, 2023
Tracy McGrady passes the hooper eye test, without a doubt. His all-around skillset and fluidity of movement for his size made him must-see television. Much like his cousin Vince Carter, McGrady was capable of incredible feats of athleticism on a nightly basis. Remember how he made throwing it off the backboard for a self alley-oop famous? (That was over 20 years ago. Time flies so fast.)
It's certainly a shame, however, that the best version of McGrady (back with the Orlando Magic) did not have the best supporting cast around him. If he did, there's definitely a chance that he'll still be in conversations alongside Lakers great Kobe Bryant to this day.
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