Tracy McGrady was often known for his outstanding performances in the NBA playoffs. T-Mac is one of the best playoff performers in the history of the NBA. In his prime, he had stepped up his game to another level on the stage that mattered the most. 

Often, people considered that the eventual downfall of McGrady’s performances and his level of play was because of physical reasons. ‘The Big Sleep’ never slept on chances to outshine his opponents and always proved his impact and effectiveness. His infamous lower back issues were mostly the reason for his shortcomings and not the mental aspect of his game.

McGrady was arguably the second-best guard just behind Kobe Bryant when he was fully fit. On his best days, he might even open the discussion if he was sometimes even better than Kobe at what he does.

McGrady impresses LeBron James

Tracy McGrady was one of the league’s most productive players in the 4th quarter. When 100% fit, McGrady used to be more than just a handful for his opponents. He was never shy to take shots and attempt dunks, which made him register few of the best dunks in the league’s history. His length and creativity allowed him to finish the chances that came his way.

Although he wasn’t as powerful a finisher as LeBron James, he still once had a young James licking his fingers after a dunk against the Pistons.

This instance was one of the top 10 of T-Mac’s dunks, along with the few where he would bounce the ball onto the board, back to himself, and score a dunk.

Tracy McGrady vs Kobe Bryant

Tracy McGrady was once so good that people often debated who was the best guard or even the best player in the world, Kobe or Tracy.

In the 2002-2003 season, Tracy was on top of his game, and in his prime, he made the comparisons between him and Kobe justifiable. T-Mac had Kobe’s moves on the offense: the turnaround, rocker step, fadeaway, bank shot, step-through, skyhook, the three-ball, etc.

At the time, only Kobe and McGrady were considered “complete” offensive players. Despite McGrady’s offensive capabilities, he was never nearly as efficient overall as Kobe. Kobe was way more relentless, and Tracy’s defense was not at an All-NBA level.

Also read: McGrady talks about how he felt facing Michael Jordan for the first time.

These factors separated the two. Kobe’s completeness, effectiveness, and influence over such a long period of time made him a legend more than McGrady. The fans still remember the late NBA legend for the impact he had on the game and the league.

Tracy’s lower back injuries later turned out to be unfortunate long-standing problems. This eventually limited him to play at his full potential. Despite his physical setbacks, Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady is still one of the legends of the game.