When Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was at his absolute peak in the mid-2000s, there was basically no one who was on his level in terms of pure skill and scoring ability. But if there was one whom some could argue was right there with him, it was Tracy McGrady.
McGrady didn’t have the longevity of Bryant’s run with the Lakers, but at his best, he was one of the purest scorers the league had ever seen. McGrady was basically unguardable with his handle and shooting ability, and was a little bigger than Kobe as well.
For a long time, many would argue over who would win in a one-on-one contest between the two. It would eventually come out that the two actually did go head-to-head while in Paris together, or at least that was the way Bryant viewed it. McGrady on the other hand told his side of the story in the latest episode of KG Certified with Kevin Garnett, adding that Kobe was all about mind games, via Showtime Basketball:
Mind games were always part of Kobe’s arsenal. ♾️
Tracy McGrady tells the story of him and Kobe playing 1-on-1 in Paris.
Brand new episode of #KGCertified with @Tmac_213 drops tomorrow on our YouTube. pic.twitter.com/bi60o8Hdnk
— SHOWTIME Basketball (@shobasketball) June 4, 2023
Bryant is known for being the most competitive person perhaps in the history of the NBA. As such, it is completely on brand that something McGrady viewed as just a workout to get better, Kobe would see as a one-on-one game in which he dominated.
Kobe was always looking for an edge on his competition and at that time, McGrady was his biggest competition in terms of who was the best player at their position in the league. That mindset is what made Bryant a true legend and Hall of Famer, eventually winning five NBA Championships for the Lakers.
Garnett laughing along with the story because he knows that is something Kobe would do just gives more credence to the fact that Kobe was the ultimate competitor. It is simply Bryant’s legend continuing to grow even though the legendary Lakers superstar is no longer with us.
Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar believes LeBron James has nothing left to prove in the NBA
The latest superstar to don the purple and gold and bring another championship to L.A. after Bryant is LeBron James. LeBron just finished his 20th NBA season, the same number both Kobe and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played, and revealed after the Lakers season ended that he is considering retirement.
Abdul-Jabbar recently spoke on the possibility, noting that LeBron has nothing left to prove in the NBA as he has done everything and whether or not he returns to the Lakers next season is a decision solely up to him.
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