Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant came into the league fresh out of high school and quickly became one of the best scorers that the game has ever seen. In Bryant’s first five years in the league, his scoring increased starting from 7.6 in the 1996-97 season to 28.5 in the 2000-01 season. While his scoring increased, so did his assists from 1.3 to 5.0, being able to score at will while also being able to get his teammates involved.
Another guard who was a dynamic scorer coming into the league was Tracy McGrady. Also a draft pick out of high school, entering a year after Bryant in 1997, McGrady and another great Vince Carter spent time playing together with the Toronto Raptors creating endless highlights. After only three years with the Raptors, McGrady would go to the Orlando Magic and have his career year in scoring during the 2002-03 season averaging 32.1 points. Meanwhile, Bryant’s highest scoring average was 35.4 in the 2005-06 season.
Both guards came onto the scene early and left their marks on the game with their incredible scoring ability, but it seems that McGrady gets overlooked when it comes to one of the best shooting guards in the game. However, he feels that he and Bryant were on the same level even though he didn’t win any championships, via the Pat Bev Podcast with Rone:
“That was a conversation, of who was the best players in the league. It was me and Kobe [Bryant], in barbershop talk around the league. Real hoopers, real basketball people know.”
The common notion among rankings of the greats in each position is how many championships a player has, if any. Ring culture has been a topic of discussion when it comes to the best ever and it varies on personal opinion on how much championships matter to a player’s resume. While McGrady went without getting a ring, it cannot be denied how gifted of an offensive player he was.
While Bryant was able to win five championships and had a longer career than McGrady due to the former having more injuries, there’s no denying that those two had their fare share of battles and Kobe would be the first one to say that.
Ranking NBA greats is always tough and some players do get overlooked due to shortcomings with team success, but regardless, it is intriguing to reflect on both of these players’ respective careers and appreciate the memorable highlights Bryant and McGrady have given to the NBA.
Anthony Davis shares his favorite Kobe Bryant memory
While Bryant’s untimely passing still hurts Lakers fans to this day, it is always good to reflect on the amazing career he had. Bryant spent 20 years with the Lakers and thus has given us an endless collection of highlights to appreciate. Current Laker Anthony Davis recently shared his favorite Bryant memory that is special to him, which had to do with his daughter and how Kobe treated her before his passing.
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