Tag: Tracy McGrady

Kobe Bryant’s top 100 games: No. 66

Kobe Bryant had a huge fourth quarter on both ends of the floor against Tracy McGrady in 2004 to lead the Lakers to a come-from-behind win.

The 2003-04 season was an exercise in frustration and tension for the Los Angeles Lakers. Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant were at odds with each other. Bryant was threatening to leave at the end of the season, and the roster was ravaged by numerous key injuries.

Despite going through a rough stretch from late December to February, L.A. had reason for hope.

By March, the Lakers were starting to win regularly again, and the resurgence coincided with the return of Karl Malone from a sprained knee.

On March 15, they took on the Orlando Magic at Staples Center. Orlando was a mediocre team, but it featured Tracy McGrady, one of the NBA’s best wing superstars and seemingly a rough clone of Bryant.

The Lakers were down by 15 at the start of the fourth quarter, and Bryant was 4-of-13 from the field. Right then and there, he went into volcano mode.

He went 8-of-11 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line to score 24 points in the fourth period and force overtime, leading to the Lakers’ 113-110 win.

Perhaps more impressively, Bryant also put the clamps on McGrady. The Magic star had 32 points through three quarters, but Bryant held him to 2-of-8 shooting and five points afterward.

It was a vintage display of Bryant’s prowess not only as a scorer but also as a defensive stopper.

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Tracy McGrady thinks a pair of prospects who the Thunder could take in 2022 NBA draft will be superstars

One is more likely than the other for the Thunder.

Hall-of-Famer Tracy McGrady named a pair of 2022 NBA draft prospects when asked by NBC Sports Washington which prospects he thinks has the best chance of being future superstars.

“I like the kid Johnny Davis. I think he has the ability to be a star in today’s game. I think Jabari Smith has the ability to be a star in today’s game,” McGrady said. “Those two really stand out to me of having that potential to be perennial All-Stars in the NBA.”

While it must be exciting for Smith Jr. and Davis to hear this from an NBA legend, the chances of the Oklahoma City Thunder adding either is low. Smith Jr. is projected by most national mock drafts to go first overall to the Orlando Magic while Davis is projected to go before 12, but there’s still a decent shot he falls to there.

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Tracy McGrady lists two potential All-Stars in upcoming NBA draft

The upcoming draft is highlighted by several talented players, and McGrady believes at least two of them can become future All-Stars.

The upcoming NBA draft is highlighted by several players projected to have long careers, and Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady believes at least two of them can become future All-Stars in the league.

Of course, Duke forward Paolo Banchero, Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren and Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr. are considered the front-runners to be the first pick by Orlando Magic. The class also features several other high-caliber players that can perform with the best of them.

McGrady, speaking in an interview with Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington, named Smith and Wisconsin sophomore Johnny Davis as his two future All-Stars.

I like the kid Johnny Davis. I think he has the ability to be a star in today’s game. I think Jabari Smith has the ability to be a star in today’s game. Those two really stand out to me of having that potential to be perennial All-Stars in the NBA.

Smith, who was voted a consensus All-American, averaged 16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, two assists, 1.1 steals and one blocked shot on 42% shooting from 3-point range. He set the Auburn single-season freshman record for points (576) and 3-pointers (79).

Davis also earned All-American honors after averaging 19.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals in 31 games. He was named the Big Ten Player of the Year after leading the Badgers to the conference regular-season title.

While Smith is in the running to be the top pick, Davis is projected to be taken in the 6-10 range on June 23. He proved a dynamic scorer by creating for himself or working in the mid-range and had three 30-point performances to show for it.

Certainly, other players in the upcoming draft have strong chances to make a trip to the All-Star Game but Smith and Davis stand out the most to McGrady.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Tracy McGrady says LaMelo Ball is ‘built for’ playing for the Lakers

The Hall of Famer spoke about LaMelo’s future on Shannon Sharpe’s podcast.

People are always quick to wonder what a young star who plays for a small market would look like under the bright lights of a big market.

For LaMelo Ball, as ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith would say, ‘he’s box office.’ Yet, Charlotte isn’t quite considered that.

Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady appeared on Shannon Sharpe’s ‘Club Shay Shay’ podcast and spoke out his career along with today’s game.

When asked by Sharpe who would be the face of the NBA in the next 10 years out of Ja Morant, Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and LaMelo Ball, McGrady was quick to mention the Hornets young star, with a caveat.

“If LaMelo Ball can get to La-La land, cause I think he’s built for that. He has that personality, that moxie; he’s built for that. I think he can be that face.”

Check out the full interview here.

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LeBron James agreed with Tracy McGrady that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are more ‘skilled’ than he is

The most skilled duo of all time? I don’t know, man.

It’s certainly up for debate, but there are lots of people in the world who think LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of all time.

His resume absolutely speaks to that, too. He’s got four NBA championships, is about to be the NBA’s all-time total point leader and is still giving us All-NBA performances in an illustrious career at 37 years old.

So, sure. He might be the greatest ever. But is he the most “skilled” player ever? Apparently not. At least according to Tracy McGrady.

On Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast, McGrady said Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant are a more skilled duo than LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were when they played together.

“I haven’t seen a duo that skilled…[Michael Jordan] and [Scottie Pippen]?… There’s no other dynamic duo that compares to KD and Kyrie. Even if you look at what LeBron and D-Wade was, skill-wise, they still not touching them two boys.” 

That’s…that’s a lot to take in. First of all, the Steph Curry erasure here is wild.

Secondly, to compare Durant and Irving to James and Wade here feels like a stretch. Those were two pretty incredibly skilled players in their primes. Wade might be the most explosive guard in NBA history and James is…well, he’s LeBron James.

But the thing is…James actually agrees with McGrady. And so did Wade. The two responded in tweets backing this up.

Wade was first to agree saying that he didn’t feel like McGrady saying that was a knock on James and Wade as a duo. Then James followed up by saying he saw “no lies told” and that Irving and Durant were two of the most skilled players to ever touch a basketball.

So there you have it, folks. I still think this is something that should be up for debate and, honestly, we need to figure out what we define skill as. But if James and Wade think McGrady is right, there’s got to be something to this.

The best part about this is the conversation won’t stop here. It’ll go on for years to come. And if the Nets are lucky, that skill might lead to a championship or two that’ll back up McGrady’s claim here.

 

Tracy McGrady questions whether Sixers star James Harden is really hurt

Tracy McGrady questions whether Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden is actually hurt at the moment.

New Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden is one of the more scrutinized players in the league as he is obviously a guy who is going to the Hall of Fame at some point, but he is also a guy who has a history of running away when times get tough.

When things changed with the Houston Rockets, and Daryl Morey left to join the Sixers, Harden asked for a trade. He was then sent to the Brooklyn Nets where they envisioned a Big 3 of Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving.

When things got tough with the Nets, Harden asked for a trade again and he got his wish as he landed in Philadelphia which was always his preferred destination. However, he is also dealing with a hamstring issue so he will not make his debut until after the All-Star break.

Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady joined TNT on Tuesday and he questioned whether Harden is actually hurt:

We all know Philly was his first choice before he went to Brooklyn. When things hit the fan, he wanted out of there. He shut it down. He wasn’t hurt. He wasn’t hurt. He shut it down. Y’all think he’s hurt right now? You don’t rehab a hammy by doing step backs.

McGrady is referring to Harden working on his triples in practice where he looked like he was in good shape. However, just because a guy looks good in practice doesn’t mean he is ready to play in an NBA game.

When Harden returns after the break, the Sixers will have 24 games to integrate him into the offense before the playoffs begin. It will be interesting to see how they handle all of this.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Today in 2004: Tracy McGrady scores 13 in 35 seconds as Rockets stun Spurs

It was 17 years ago today when Tracy McGrady stunned the Spurs and the NBA with 13 points in 35 seconds, leading Houston to a wild home win.

Tracy McGrady’s Rockets career was cut short by injuries, but he will forever be remembered for leading one of the most epic comebacks in recent NBA history with a one-man scoring explosion. On Dec. 9, 2004, McGrady scored 13 points in less than 35 seconds to lead a thrilling Houston comeback versus the visiting San Antonio Spurs.

The Rockets trailed by eight points at the start of McGrady’s outburst, which included a 4-point play through legendary center Tim Duncan and a winning 3-pointer on the move with only 1.7 seconds left to play.

Led by Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili, the 2004-05 Spurs went on to win the NBA championship that season. Historically, that only adds to the legacy of what McGrady did on that December 2004 night, which sent the limited fans that remained at Toyota Center into a frenzy.

Take a trip down memory lane and re-watch how it all went down, including perspective from McGrady on what stands out to him.

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NBA 75: Our all-time roster for the Houston Rockets

As the NBA honors its 75th anniversary with a list of its historical greats, we look back at the top players in Houston Rockets history.

As part of a celebration of its 75th anniversary, the NBA is releasing what it calls the NBA 75 — a list of the greatest players in league history.

With that in mind, we’re looking back at the greats over that same time period who played for the Rockets. Founded in 1967 in San Diego before moving to Houston in 1971, the Rockets are clearly one of the league’s flagship clubs. With 2,286 wins and 2,074 losses, the .529 winning clip by the Rockets ranks eighth among the league’s 30 active franchises, and they are one of only 11 teams with multiple championships (1994, 1995).

Some ground rules: Since this exercise is to determine an overall roster, this list contains position biases. For example, even though the Rockets have a long history of elite centers, a team wouldn’t be likely to carry six centers on a 15-man roster. Thus, some greats did not make the cut.

Also, this roster defers to each player’s specific contributions in Houston. In other words, even though Scottie Pippen is a Hall of Famer and an all-time NBA legend, he played just one season with the Rockets and was past his prime at that time — which makes him not a fit for an all-time Houston list. Similar logic holds true with Russell Westbrook.

Without any further delay, here’s our all-time Rockets roster, and be sure to check out our other NBA Wire sites for rival comparisons.

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Where Houston Rockets rank on USA TODAY’s all-time NBA players list

Led by Hakeem Olajuwon, here’s where various Rockets ended up on USA TODAY’s newly released list of the top 75 NBA players of all-time.

Since 2021-22 is officially the NBA’s 75th season, the league office is planning to release the NBA 75, a list of the 75 greatest all-time players. The official unveiling is set to occur later this month.

With that in mind, a diverse panel arranged by USA TODAY Sports recently compiled its own list of the NBA’s top 75 legends.

The panel consisted of Jeff Zillgitt, Mark Medina, Nancy Armour, Dan Wolken, Matt Eppers, Larry Starks and Larry Berger of USA TODAY; Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic; Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal; Berry Tramel of the Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman; Evan Barnes of the Memphis Commercial Appeal; Omari Sankofa of the Detroit Free Press; and former USA TODAY NBA writers J Michael and Greg Boeck.

While you will need a subscription to see the full USA TODAY list with all of the additional context, we extracted players from the list who spent time with the Rockets. Scroll down to see the Houston inclusions.

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Where Houston Rockets rank among NBA’s 75 greatest players ever

Hakeem Olajuwon, Moses Malone, James Harden, Clyde Drexler, and Tracy McGrady are among those who cracked the HoopsHype “Top 75” list.

In honor of 2021-22 being the NBA’s 75th season, the league is planning to release something they’re calling the NBA 75, which will feature an official list of the 75 greatest all-time players.

With that in mind, our friends at HoopsHype compiled their own rankings on the subject. To do so, HoopsHype recently held a team vote with the opinions of eight staff members. They removed the highest and lowest rank for each player, and awarded points 75-1 for the rest.

Here’s how it turned out, as it pertains to those players who spent time with the Houston Rockets:

No. 11: Hakeem Olajuwon
No. 15: Moses Malone
No. 25: Charles Barkley
No. 27: Scottie Pippen
No. 29: Chris Paul
No. 36: Rick Barry
No. 39: James Harden
No. 40: Elvin Hayes
No. 43: Clyde Drexler
No. 47: Russell Westbrook
No. 49: Carmelo Anthony
No. 62: Dwight Howard
No. 73: Tracy McGrady

Career summaries, top accolades, and specific vote share figures for each player are available at the HoopsHype link.

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