Tracy McGrady Praises Kevin Durant’s Top Quality, Explains Secret to Success

NBA legends often find inspiration in those who came before them, and for Kevin Durant, that role model was Tracy McGrady. Durant has openly admired the Hall of Famer’s game, particularly emulating McGrady’s signature hesitation pull-up moves. Both players share an extraordinary offensive skill set, with McGrady boasting a career average of 19.6 points and 5.6 rebounds, while Durant has eclipsed those marks with career averages of 27.3 points and 7.0 rebounds to date. While following in McGrady’s footsteps has been a worthy pursuit for Durant, receiving praise from the legend himself is a moment of validation.

The admiration came through in McGrady’s recent Instagram post, where the 7x NBA All-Star showered Durant with compliments, calling him an unparalleled talent. The video, captioned “Do yourself a favor and study KD’s game,” offered a glowing analysis of the 6’11” champion’s skills and provided insight into what McGrady believes sets Durant apart.

“KD! Probably the most efficient scorer we have seen based on how he plays. I mean, 7-foot with the crazy handle,” McGrady remarked. McGrady elaborated, highlighting Durant’s minimalistic yet lethal scoring ability: “He is one of those guys that doesn’t need too many dribbles. KD is a great jump shooter. You can have all those moves, right? But it all comes back to the jump shot. And if you can’t shoot, what’s the point of all those moves? KD is a great jump shooter. All he needs is a few dribbles to create space for his shot, and he’s mastered that over his career.”, he further added.

McGrady didn’t stop there, diving into Durant’s technical excellence, “Crazy footwork! An insane ability to go left, right, and rise up—he’s a problem. If he needs to show off his handle, he can do that too. Great sense of feel for the game. Whether it’s the left shoulder or the right shoulder, he’s deadly. And he doesn’t need to take that many dribbles to get his shot off.”

For McGrady, Durant’s efficiency and shooting prowess stand as his defining traits. While flashy moves may catch attention, McGrady underscored that they are meaningless without a reliable jump shot—something Durant has mastered to devastating effect.

Having a towering height is one thing, but knowing how to leverage it effectively is what separates good players from great ones. Both Kevin Durant and Tracy McGrady mastered this, using their size and skill to dominate from anywhere on the court. Their powerful jump shots make blocking nearly impossible, a shared trait that has led to multiple Scoring Champion titles—Durant surpassing McGrady by doubling his tally. However, the defining quality that bridges the gap between them is efficiency.

McGrady himself highlighted this similarity during an interview with OBL Hoops, saying, “KD reminds me of myself, being able to get to your spots in three, four dribbles.” This statement reflects not just admiration but a sense of kinship, as both players are known for their precise, deliberate approach to scoring.

So, does McGrady see Durant as the greatest? While he hasn’t explicitly said so, the respect and reverence he shows suggest he considers Durant one of the most exceptional scorers in NBA history.

T-Mac gives a piece of his mind on all-time greats

This isn’t the first time Kevin Durant has received high praise from his inspiration, Tracy McGrady. Last year, Basketball Network reported McGrady, whose No. 1 jersey was retired by the Qingdao Eagles, calling Durant the best 1-on-1 scorer in basketball. “I don’t think nobody is better than KD. His shooting ability, 7-foot,”, McGrady reportedly said. Naturally, this sparked debates among fans, questioning whether McGrady views Durant as the best, even when compared to contemporaries like LeBron James and Stephen Curry.

Interestingly, McGrady’s recent top five shooters of all time list offers a different perspective. Durant’s name was absent, as was that of sharpshooting legend Ray Allen. Instead, McGrady’s list was headlined by Steph Curry, followed by Klay Thompson, Mark Price, Craig Hodges, and Reggie Miller. The omission of both Durant and Allen has caused quite a stir, leaving fans to wonder about McGrady’s criteria.

While McGrady has consistently lauded Durant’s scoring prowess and efficiency, this exclusion suggests that, in his view, shooting and scoring might not be synonymous. For McGrady, Durant’s brilliance lies in his ability to combine size, versatility, and skill to score efficiently across the board—not just as a pure shooter.

In another Instagram post, Tracy McGrady offered his perspective on a popular question: which player he would choose to build a franchise around? McGrady’s response was decisive: “Bron. I mean, that’s an obvious choice, LeBron.” While acknowledging Kevin Durant’s superior scoring ability, McGrady contrasted Durant with LeBron James, saying: “KD has been the better scorer, but you cannot take anybody over LeBron James in today’s game. He does too much.”

McGrady’s stance highlights an intriguing dichotomy. While he consistently praises Durant’s unmatched efficiency and scoring prowess, he regards LeBron’s all-around contributions—leadership, playmaking, and versatility—as unparalleled in modern basketball. This reveals McGrady’s belief that while Durant may dominate offensively, LeBron’s multifaceted skill set makes him the ultimate franchise cornerstone. Regardless, Kevin Durant will surely go down as one of the best to ever play the game. Do you agree with McGrady’s analysis? Tell us in the comment section below!