“I hate a boring playoff series, so you gotta start somethin’ up, some kind of controversy between the two teams.” Tracy McGrady’s statement out loud showed he loves keeping the spark alive in things. That aspect alone proves that, even though he was not a ruthless trash-talker, he could very well come up with something interesting on his toes. And that’s exactly what McGrady did to a 24-year-old YouTuber.

Enter Tylil James, a content creator who probably didn’t expect a life lesson when chatting with McGrady. But hey, sometimes you get humbled when you least expect it. It all started pretty casually. “You not old, though. I’m not young. I’m 24. Young with an old would… What was you doing at 24,” the 24-year-old said. Big mistake though.

Without missing a beat, Tracy McGrady dropped a mic-worthy response, “Averaging 30.” Boom. End of story. Tylil knew he was cooked. “He definitely humbled me. That’s the end of the stream, chat…. And he walked off.” But can you blame him? T-Mac’s words hit harder than a poster dunk. Especially because he wasn’t bluffing.

Back in his 24th year with the Orlando Magic during the 2002-03 season, Tracy McGrady averaged a whopping 32.1 points per game. That season, he led the league in scoring and cemented himself as one of the most unstoppable players of his generation.

Let’s be real—Tylil never stood a chance. But credit where it’s due—he took the L in with grace. What we have is yet another instance of an NBA athlete showing what they can be when it comes to trash talk. Surprisingly, though, T-Mac has seen worse than what he did.

Tracy McGrady reveals the worst trash talker he ever faced

T-Mac played during an era filled with some of the most competitive—and mouthy—players the league has ever seen. So, when asked about the worst trash talkers he faced, T-Mac didn’t hesitate to name a few legends.

At the top of McGrady’s list was Gary Payton. Known for his relentless and direct trash talk, Payton had a reputation for getting under his opponent’s skin with sharp, unfiltered words. Right behind him was Kevin Garnett, whose trash talk was so constant that players often didn’t know if he was talking to them or himself.

T-Mac admitted that Garnett’s nonstop chatter could leave you looking around, unsure if you were the target. And, of course, Kobe Bryant made the list as well. With his legendary Mamba mentality, Kobe’s words were as calculated as his game, often aimed at breaking his opponents’ confidence. Even though not much of a trash-talker himself, the influence on McGrady from these names is clearly visible after what he did to Tylil.