There have been far too many promising basketball careers cut tragically short due to injury issues. But one guy out there simply isn't talked about as much as he should be.
McGrady is criminally underrated. Preach. He's often accused of selfishness...no just the victim of no help and one-dimensional coaching. He is/was an artist for sure.
Underrated?? He is in the HOF without a playoff series won, no Olympic medals, no NCAA titles, no NBA mvps, only thing he has is MIP, and Scoring titles. At this point is overrated
I have that plays along with Larry Bird's 3pointer that did not count due to a bad timeout, where he said screw it, I will do exactly the same, and went on to score a second three, with the exact same move from the exact same spot.
@@cherimoneeboone7127and? Does that make the feat any less remarkable? How many guys have you seen do the exact same thing? You must be fun at parties smh
I can get behind this take for sure. I remember watching t-Mac live back then. He was like the guy you hoped would develop into Kobe’s biggest rival. Him being in the East, being similar size and type of player, the way they faced off against each other during matchups. If he could’ve stayed healthy and had a better team it would have been great to see that rivalry grow as t-Mac’s legend grew.
T Mac and Grant Hill are the two that always come to mind whenever careers shortened due to injury come up. Imagine those Tracy/Kobe matchups if they both had been healthy. It's a damn shame.
Kobe and T-Mac were MUST SEE TV in that 2000-2004 span. Even the two healthy years McGrady had in Houston was a blast to watch those two go at each other.
@@kinGsaL1515Penny Hardaway too, Penny and Grant Hill to me is how Jordan haters describe Pippen, they could do anything on the floor as well as being good on the defensive end. Some of my favorite players ever it’s ashamed we never truly got to see them peak
For me T Mac cousin’s Vince Carter never truly touched into his full potential as well. Another what if for me, is if they would’ve stayed together. The saddest what if for me is definitely Derrick Rose.
That Orlando Magics team honestly had a lot of what if's. Besides the injuries, let's not forget how Doc dropped the ball on getting Tim Duncan to join T Mac and Grant. But hey, that's what the NBA 2k games are for. To make those what if's actually happen. 😁
I just did a 2k gm rebuild of McGrady's Magic recently. He was an absolute monster until he turned 30. A couple minor injuries here and there but multiple championships, mvps, fmvps, and averaged 40ppg, and 36ppg twice in his peak 3 years. Individually, he fell off hard after 30 and regularly suffered injuries but he was a pretty solid player when on the court until he retired at 37 or 38 after winning his 6th championship. I managed to draft James Harden and Paul George (without cheating) and McGrady became a mentor for those two as he aged and ultimately passed the torch to them before Harden and George led the magic to more championships into the late 2010s and 2020s. I honestly found it to be a pretty interesting story. 3 guys who in real life could never get it done in the playoffs for whatever reason all coming together on a team that has had next to no success ever while they're still young and building a dynasty that spanned across the 00s and 2010s
The biggest what if’s in NBA history, from an injury standpoint for me are: Ralph Sampson, Andrew Toney, Derrick Rose, Bill Walton Biggest what if in NBA history because of personal issues: Michael Ray Richardson, David Thompson and Roy Tarpley Saddest what if in NBA history: Len Bias
@@septimiusseverus165 Drazen was tremendous, but he was in his late 20's when he passed away. From a basketball standpoint, he was probably at or close to his peak. I think he would have continued to put up 20-22 PPG and maybe make an all-star or 2, but not sure how much better he would have gotten, if at all. Same with Reggie Lewis who died just a month later. 2 absolute tragedies nonetheless.
Its one thing if you don't like Lebron and wanna give legitimate slander, but its another if you're really gonna compare T Mac to him like its legitimate. What are we doing?
@@aor_254damn bruh are u listening to the video yes u can compare him to LeBron at that time he was better than LeBron. Lebron just had the better career because of Tmac back injury but skill wise LeBron has never been on TMac level if we talking pure skills not stats
@@shonrobinson1742 Yup. watched the video. First, what does that even mean, he's better in skills not stats? Thats the same type shit Bron fans sling when they compare him to Jordan. Doesnt mean anything. T mac is an all time great. No doubt. BUT, Injuries are not the ONLY reason TMac didn't go further in the playoffs or have a better career. He had a couple of winnable series that he choked including a blown 3-1 lead to Detroit in 03. Plus, his Houston teams were legit contenders with Yao and in the series he played, he had many bad 4Qs. Never made it out the first round. Let's not rewrite history. What I don't get is we cook Lebron for being a choker and losing in big games (which no doubt are legit criticisms of his legacy), BUT we are now hypocritically giving TMac a pass for the same shit while calling them comparable. Keep in mind Lebron still got much farther in the playoffs than TMac even with his shitty Cleveland teams.
TMac was A BEAST from his Orlando day up to his 1st year in Hou. It's true that he didn't had a Shaq and better team mates overall to match Kobe's playoff achievements. That Series with Yao vs Mavs was his first and only shot at it. After blowing a 2-0 to Mavs, it's downhill for him. His body was deteriorating as so as his skills and chances in the Playoffs.
I saw some comments about penny, d rose, and hill being in that "greatest what ifs" convo. We could throw Bill Walton in there as well. Super skilled big man who couldn't get past those foot injuries. I'm guessing it's just "what ifs" based on injury, but if not, Len Bias was a f*cking STUD who would have been part of that late 80s Celtics crew.
Mac was dragging ORL to the playoffs by himself every year he was there. Hill was injured, Duncan was going to ORL before Doc ruined it. 30ppg back then was 40ppg today
I honestly think about this with Brandon Roy and Derrick Rose. A lot of people forget that Damian Lillard was Roy's backup and that Blazers team looked pretty good being led by Roy. Until injuries happened with Roy, Oden, etc.....and I don't think Rose needs a description with his "what if?" scenario.
Idk man, it seems like you are having a Mandela Effect moment. Lillard was never on the Blazers with Roy. Roy retired (1st time) right after 2010-11 season. He didn't play at all in the 2011-12 season. Lillard's rookie year was 2012-2013. Roy unretired in Lillard's rookie season but Roy played with Minnesota, not Portland. Other than that, I agree with everything. The Blazers really had an era ruined by Oden and Roy's injuries. They would've had a legit team with Roy, Oden, Batum, and Aldridge.
@@THE_BEAR_JEW I meant back up in that they drafted him, thinking Roy was still in mind. Since he retired that one year and they got llilard during that gap year, Roy had. He basically was going to be his backup. Since they had that squad of Oden, Aldridge, and Roy. The Blazers were good under Roy, but he had all those injuries to deal with, so llillard wasn't like their intended star.
T-Mac's short but incredible prime is like that of Terrell Davis, who experienced far more team success (but that was for being in far more fortunate circumstances). In their peaks, they were easily the top offensive forces in their respective sports.
The biggest what ifs to me are guys we barely got to see or not at all. Imo Len Bias and Reggie Lewis dying so early changed a lot of basketball history. The Celtics were handing the torch off to em but instead, they ended up being kind of an irrelevant franchise until the late 2000s. The others are internationals who I think would've made international basketball players accepted at a much earlier time. Dražen Petrović was the fricking man but he died at an early age. Arvydas Saboniswas also awesome but unfortunately, the Soviets would not let him play in the USA until his prime was pretty much over. Due to this, it took until around the early 2010s for internationals to start getting more respect. It was due to the Gasol bros, Ibaka, Dirk, Manu, Parker, and Steve Nash. I just wonder how many internationals got passed over because Arvydas Sabonis and Dražen Petrović didn't get a change to play in the NBA as much as they should've.
I love T Mac. But the fact that he didn't make it out the first round of the playoffs until he was a bench warmer on the Spurs is extremely damning to his legacy.
My favorite player of all time. Kobe said himself he is 6’4 without shoes and Mike is about 6’4.5 however Mac was closer to 6’9 or 6’10 standing next to KG. Mac had the same style of play as Kobe and Mike except he can shoot over defenders much easily. Mac, manu and rip Hamilton are the three least talked about superstars.
Offensively T Mac was a 2 inches taller Kobe... Definitely one of the best 5 players I have ever seen, despite the lack of playoff success. 1 Michael 2 Kobe 3 Steph 4 Iverson 5 McGrady
Man T-Mac was my favorite player growing up. He was unstoppable during his magic days if they weren't a terrible team he could have done some things I feel like. To me this might be the most tragic story of all even Kobe gave him props on how unguardable he was. I mean T-Mac was so good he almost beat the number 1 seeded pistons in the playoffs by himself and we all know how good of a defensive team the pistons were during that time.
I love the way you give us context for these comparisons. 32 ppg ain't what it used to be... T-Mac was the only guy on par with Kobe back then as far as I was concerned.
t-mac was special, definitely a massive what if. and you didn't even mention his iconic last minute performance with houston, what was it like 13 points in 34 seconds or something. that shit was legendary. i got nothing but big ups for t-mac. props for giving him some shine.
Baron Davies completely derailed T-Macs playoff legacy. He just wasnt good enough when it came to playoff basketball, and I can remember his coaches calling him lazy. Amazing highlights though. His comeback vs the Spurs is legendary...
07-08 Tmac was awesome, the Rockets were so balanced he did not need to score as much. They went on 20 game win streak and Yao's season ended in the middle of it costing them the season. Teams could not figure out Yao and Scola on both sides of the ball and Battier became an elite defender. Tmac as well.
Thanks for doing this video Skap. McGrady is my 2nd favorite (Behind Kobe) player of all time. I go back n forth between T-Mac and Penny for 2nd place. You should do a video on Penny Hardaway as well. He was truly SPECIAL before his injuries. He was a 6'7 PG that was quick, had handles defense, high basketball IQ, athleticism, could pass like Magic, and could score like a Kobe on high efficiency when needed too.
I'm from Detroit so Grant Hill was a massive disappointment health-wise. It's crazy to think that Penny, TMac, and Grant were all on the Magic and all suffered basically the same curse.
I remember T-Mac when he was in his prime. He was damn good. I even saw him in a Knicks jersey on 2010. I felt if he brought that mentality when he played with Orlando, he would have been a good piece. Didn't see it that way.
penny is still the greatest what if. he was 1st team in just his second season and he was scoring with ease against scottie pippen. even jordan said penny was likely going to take over the league when he retired. and btw, penny was also clutch and could easily carry a team with ball distribution or scoring
Kobe commented before that TMac was the player he had the most trouble against, mostly because they were of the same make but TMac had length on him. He was an offensive juggernaut at a time when defenses were dominant. Insane potential, what could have been. I wish he could have gotten that chip with the Spurs. Much respect to this phenom.
Kawhi is becoming the biggest what if. If knees were not made of hay ....how many more rings are won? Maybe the load management doesn't exist and he could win regular mvp.
If Kawai never would’ve had knee issues, I honestly think he would’ve gone down as a greater player of this generation, and of all time, then Kevin Durant or Steph Curry. I still believe he would’ve reached his full potential if he stayed in San Antonio.
There's another interesting story about that Orlando team. Tim Duncan was also about to join TMac and Hill in Orlando after his rookie contract but Orlando management did not allow Duncan's family to travel in the same plane with the team so Duncan decided to stay in San Antonio... TMac and Duncan would have dominated the East even if Hill didn't play...TMac and Duncan in the finals against Shaq and Kobe...What could have been...
McGrady would've been a top 15 all time player without injuries,he was crazy good. Grant Hill and Brandon Roy are also big what ifs. Yao Ming unfortunately couldn't stay healthy mostly cause of his size, that was him take it or leave it.
Tracey McGardy is still my 2nd favorite from the early 2000s. I just wish he had good health, it makes you wonder what if Shaq stayed with Orlando when they got T-Mac
He had the #1 seeded Pistons down 3-1 in the first round the first year they changed the playoff format in 2003 from best of 5 to best of 7. Without this change his 8 seeded Magic would’ve pulled off a huge upset in what was T-Mac’s best season
McGrady was an exceptional talent & injuries derailed his career, but he was almost the precursor to Harden or CP3 with the way he choked in the playoffs when he was healthy.
One of my favorites and why i can't just easily dismiss some players as losers. Sure, he could have been greater with a stronger mentality-but that's still unfair to him given his teams were just trash/unhealthy/lacking in depth. And yet, i understand why so many hate him in every place he went. In order to hate, you first must have loved i suppose. T-Mac just couldn't shut his mouth. He'd say things that would get him in trouble with the fans often. He was too candid with the media and it always came back to haunt him. Rockets fan from Houston so his best Orlando years, i just saw the nationally televised games and highlights. Incredible talent. One of the top 5 greatest NBA "TALENT's" in NBA history. We got that T-Mac in Houston for his first year. He was still lean and quick and while his back started hurting in Orlando, they were temporary flare ups. A tall guy like T-Mac dribbled close to the floor with those long arms and crouched down-and he would burst and attack with all that length out of nowhere so his back was crucial to how he played. We had JVG slow us down and play through Yao, so while T-mac has a ton of great highlights from that first year in Houston, his stats don't reflect how good he still was. He absolutely was still a 30ppg scoring guard, but now he was showing much more brilliance in vision and passing IQ. A lot of the stuff LeBron gets praised for, T-Mac had the same. The height and length and vision to make cross court passes look so easy and accurate. He had some Penny like flash to his passing as well. The 1st round series vs the Mavs was epic back and forth until g7. If JVG has critical faults, it's that he just will not adjust and he will run his players into the ground(like Thibs). The Mavs absolutely demolished us in g7. Embarrassing and sickening stain on what was a great season. Keep in mind our starting PF was Ryan Bowen as Juwan Howard was out, So not enough people give T-Mac credit for actually defending Dirk, but come on. We had Ryan Bown on Dirk most of the time. That's just unfair. While All Star Josh Howard was on T-Mac. It was just a poor matchup against Dirk and we were slow on the perimeter. *I love JVG btw even with his faults as well. He will never sleep bc he cares so much about winning and the team. I love his fight and ultimately that's the kind of coach i wanted for T-Mac and Yao long term-and even today with the pampered, all flash of todays young players* After that, T-Mac's body got wrecked. Only, we didn't know it. We saw him much more muscular. He looked kind of strange. Like he skipped leg day and had this swole upper body. It was to play SF and deal with the grind against stronger players in a half court setting. He clearly lost explosion, but he still was very elite as a Point Forward now, only now his back spasms were hitting hard on and off and he couldn't gain momentum on the season. He had to be carted off on a stretcher at one point. He played in the All Star game here in Houston and had like 30something pts and looked good, but the season was lost with all the injuries. Year 3-He was far more solid, playing in 71 games, but of course if T-Mac is healthy, Yao can't be so Yao missed half the season and we still won 52 games. Utah series. Man i think i loved these years b/c we faced so many of our nemesis and it makes it so much more fun. We battled Utah a lot during the Hakeem years. This Utah team with Deron Williams(VERY underrated and forgotten PG along with Booz/Ak47/Okur/JSloan) had a kryptonite on us. Okur would stretch the floor at C and force Yao to come out to the 3pt line. Remember how i said JVG refuses to adjust? 7 games he refused to adjust. Despite that, we were talented enough to push it to 7 and in g7, that loss was NOT on T-Mac. People point to how T-mac was aggressive through 3 and stopped attacking in the 4th, but the game was close and it was Yao who could not grab a single defensive rebound and it was Yao who by JVG's refusal to adjust could not get out in time to defend Okurs 3 pointer that sealed our fate. Year 4 was strange. T-Mac was clearly slower, but still good. He was in and out of the lineup along with Yao. It's as if they were cursed that only one could be healthy at the same time. I dont know the numbers, but i'm willing to bet we didn't get very much of Yao and T-Mac on the floor together through those years vs one or the other. We had an epic 22 game winning streak after a poor start. I believe half the first game of the streak everyone was healthy and then Yao went out and old man Mutumbo started and our streak continued. Dike was phenomenal. Yao was lost for the season and once again our hearts were broken that we were showing NBA championship potential, but just could not catch a break. Utah series once again. This time we had Rick the Ruler Adleman. Fantastic coach. T-Mac did really well even with his bad shoulder. This is a much heavier and slwoer T-Mac with injuries all around and his back spasms and he avg 27/8/7. His efficiency dropped with lack of explosion, but the talent was still there. The Jazz were just too much and DWill killed us on the perimeter. Year 5. We get Artest and we have depth. Everyone excited about the season. T-mac's done. We go on to show our heart and battle through Portland with Dike going down and ending his career in that series. Dike had been incredible for us through the Yao injuries and it was a heartbreaking way to lose him to injury as well. He was a fan favorite and Dike himself loves his Houston years more than any others despite us never winning. We finally get out of the 1st round only T-Mac is in a suit. Remember how i said T-Mac just couldn't shut his mouth? Well fans were already on edge that T-mac got a surgery that the Rockets doctors were telling him not to get, and that's why he was done for the season. Now. We're in the 2nd round against Kobe's Lakers. T-Mac, maybe in bitterness in knowing we got out the first round without him(but Portland was just a better matchup than Utah and T-Mac jus thad that bad luck follow him everywhere and we had Scola and yao both killing it in the front court which T-Mac never had the luxury of). So T-Mac goes to the media and predicts the Lakers as champs while we're facing them in the playoffs. As you can imagine, he lost probably MOST Rockets fans that day. Many hate him, and unfairly blame him for the previous losses till this day. Yao had his Willis Reed moment, but ultimately like clock work-went down with injury. Our role players showed incredible heart and ultimately fell short of knocking off Kobe and the Lakers in G7. You can see why we believe we were championship caliber had we only had health and a bit of luck in better match ups. Outside of the Hakeem years, the T-Mac/Yao years are my favorite even with all the ups and downs. The heartbreak. I saw that as similar to the Hakeem years where in order to succeed you must first fail. It leaves a bad stain in your mouth and memory to look back on it and know injuries are the reason why T-Mac and Yao and co. aren't champions. The Harden years were fun, but i just wasn't as emotionally attached anymore and it was ugly to watch us shoot so many 3s despite winning and blowing everyone out. It was boring to watch. The GS loss hurt as much as any of them. People praise Lebron and the Cavs for beating the 73 win Warriors with key injuries/suspensions, but everyone forgets Harden and an older CP3 people were already calling washed-took the KD Warriors-the supposed greatest team ever assembled-to the brink. Leading the series and being up double digits in both g6 and g7. Of course....CP3 injury. Rockets have been cursed with critical injuries ever since 96. This one wasn't just on injuries though, b/c without CP3, we were leading in G7. It was live or die by the 3 that did us in. Everyone remembers. All those 3pt bricks and we wouldn't stop shooting them and adjust and attack or go for open mid range shots. That's what killed us. Lack of adjustments runs in our coach's DNA ever since Rudy T.
T mac said “It’s good that we are getting to the second round” before choking a 3-1 lead and he was injury prone and a choker as the number one option.
Lmfao yeah the dude who never made it past the first round in his career and choked a 3-1 lead the only time he could’ve made it past is better than the guy who the all time leading scorer and is the 2nd player to be in the 4/4/4 club
I definitely considered all of those guys. Penny certainly has a good case. Unfortunately for him the two first team all NBA seasons came when Jordan was out of the NBA. That could have given more context to exactly what he was doing then. Like looking at McGrady next to Kobe in T-Mac's first team seasons, you can make a case, McGrady was right there.
McGrady was a super good defender. Not sure why "at least at the offense end" was said. And Grant Hill's career wasn't cut short. He played 19 seasons. His potential was definitely ruined by injuries. Definitely a what if.
Being an Orlando Magic fan from way back in the Shaq/Penny days, when T-Mac came to Orlando he was definitely fun to watch........Just imagine if the Magic would have got Tim Duncan in free agency and Grant Hill would of never got injured in Detroit. That Orlando team with Timmy. T-Mac and Grant Hill would have been nice.
Kobe vs T-Mac was must see basketball TV. To quote Kobe “he could do everything I could do but he was 6’9”. T-Mac, Grant Hill, and Penny. What could have been 😢
I liked this curveball Skap! Could you do a video on what team (single season or not) had the biggest what if thought bubble lingering overhead in your eyes?
I will never get the T-Mac what if? It only should be asked what if he had better teammates and that is about it. The man in a span of 8 years averaged 26, 6 and 5 playing around 70 games per year. If he stayed healthy for the next 3-4 years he would have probably get out the first round but that is about it. The true what if players that we never seen hit their peak is someone like Derrick Rose or Bill Walton.
Me too! Kobe has been my guy from the moment he entered the league. But I LOVED T-Mac in those early 2000 years as well. it was an absolute pleasure when Kobe and McGrady played each other. And they actually were childhood friends too. Which is pretty cool.
Tracy McGrady was one of my all-time favorite players when I was growing up and when I was playing basketball I used to try to play like him in the backyard along eoth Jordan 😂😂😂😂😂
TMac- Grant Hill and Penny are my greatest What if? if they made the 2000s without injury for sure Kobe will be having a lot of wars with these amazing talents
Brandon Roy and DRose are special for me on that 'what if' category, they truly kept on trying til their bodies gave up on them and they couldnt hide how much it hurt for them not to be able to play.
Kobe and Tmac were close friends in Tmac's first couple of yrs in NBA. They hang out in Kobe's house went to amusement park. Then Kob got too focused and training himself to be like Mike. There's one game in 06 when Kob elbowed T mac's back to check it. But they were just laughing it off in a 2019 interview. T mac's 1st shoe with Adidas back in 02 was also great! His comeback win over the Spurs in the last 40 seconds is still the best in his career.
Kobe always praised TMac, saying if it wasn't for his injuries, he would be among the greatest to play.
Facts...they were close like brothers RIP Kobe
👌🔥💯
Kobe also praised Brandon Roy before the injuries saying he had no weakness
McGrady is criminally underrated. Preach. He's often accused of selfishness...no just the victim of no help and one-dimensional coaching. He is/was an artist for sure.
Wade is better
Underrated?? He is in the HOF without a playoff series won, no Olympic medals, no NCAA titles, no NBA mvps, only thing he has is MIP, and Scoring titles. At this point is overrated
Another criminal misuse of the word underrated
@@randywatson6583 Wade is better at polishing his nails and winning rings with Shaq or a super team.
And untimely injuries to either himself or his costars. He actually had good help but either he or the help was never firing on all cylinders.
Tmac 13 points in 33 seconds is the most clutch moment of all time
Nd u knodatt, salute my guy 🙏🏽
That's unreal..he left earth..
I have that plays along with Larry Bird's 3pointer that did not count due to a bad timeout, where he said screw it, I will do exactly the same, and went on to score a second three, with the exact same move from the exact same spot.
Regular season game
@@cherimoneeboone7127and? Does that make the feat any less remarkable? How many guys have you seen do the exact same thing? You must be fun at parties smh
I can get behind this take for sure. I remember watching t-Mac live back then. He was like the guy you hoped would develop into Kobe’s biggest rival. Him being in the East, being similar size and type of player, the way they faced off against each other during matchups. If he could’ve stayed healthy and had a better team it would have been great to see that rivalry grow as t-Mac’s legend grew.
Everyone had his shoes too
T Mac and Grant Hill are the two that always come to mind whenever careers shortened due to injury come up. Imagine those Tracy/Kobe matchups if they both had been healthy. It's a damn shame.
Brandon Roy as well people sleep on him
Kobe and T-Mac were MUST SEE TV in that 2000-2004 span. Even the two healthy years McGrady had in Houston was a blast to watch those two go at each other.
@@kinGsaL1515Penny Hardaway too, Penny and Grant Hill to me is how Jordan haters describe Pippen, they could do anything on the floor as well as being good on the defensive end. Some of my favorite players ever it’s ashamed we never truly got to see them peak
For me T Mac cousin’s Vince Carter never truly touched into his full potential as well. Another what if for me, is if they would’ve stayed together. The saddest what if for me is definitely Derrick Rose.
Damn I forgot G Hill, yeah he WAS a beast before the ankle mess.
Brandon roy was putting together a good career before his knees stopped him.
Hall of Fame career before injuries
That Orlando Magics team honestly had a lot of what if's. Besides the injuries, let's not forget how Doc dropped the ball on getting Tim Duncan to join T Mac and Grant.
But hey, that's what the NBA 2k games are for. To make those what if's actually happen. 😁
I just did a 2k gm rebuild of McGrady's Magic recently. He was an absolute monster until he turned 30. A couple minor injuries here and there but multiple championships, mvps, fmvps, and averaged 40ppg, and 36ppg twice in his peak 3 years.
Individually, he fell off hard after 30 and regularly suffered injuries but he was a pretty solid player when on the court until he retired at 37 or 38 after winning his 6th championship.
I managed to draft James Harden and Paul George (without cheating) and McGrady became a mentor for those two as he aged and ultimately passed the torch to them before Harden and George led the magic to more championships into the late 2010s and 2020s.
I honestly found it to be a pretty interesting story. 3 guys who in real life could never get it done in the playoffs for whatever reason all coming together on a team that has had next to no success ever while they're still young and building a dynasty that spanned across the 00s and 2010s
@@t-wrecks6060 imagine if a healthy T Mac and a healthy Grant Hill stayed long enough on the Magic until Dwight's arrival and mentored him.
keep shaq with a healthy tmac orlando could have been a dynasty
@@IYPITWLand later in his career having. Dwight Howard ! 🤔🔥🔥🔥💪
The biggest what if’s in NBA history, from an injury standpoint for me are: Ralph Sampson, Andrew Toney, Derrick Rose, Bill Walton
Biggest what if in NBA history because of personal issues: Michael Ray Richardson, David Thompson and Roy Tarpley
Saddest what if in NBA history: Len Bias
I immediately thought of Len bias.
@@bradleyhaack557 A special talent gone far too soon because of a tragic night that should have never happened...
Yep. I'd add Sam Bowie and Reggie Lewis.
People always forget Drazen Petrovic
@@septimiusseverus165 Drazen was tremendous, but he was in his late 20's when he passed away. From a basketball standpoint, he was probably at or close to his peak. I think he would have continued to put up 20-22 PPG and maybe make an all-star or 2, but not sure how much better he would have gotten, if at all. Same with Reggie Lewis who died just a month later. 2 absolute tragedies nonetheless.
Mac, D Rose, Penny and Grant Hill are the biggest what if's. Excellent video!
Let me add Brandon Roy into the mix.
Y E S
Greg Oden as well
Grant Hill was unstoppable at one point
Yao Ming too
That rivalry with Kobe could've been one of the greatest, unfortunately we have Lebron (Tmac at home).
Its one thing if you don't like Lebron and wanna give legitimate slander, but its another if you're really gonna compare T Mac to him like its legitimate. What are we doing?
@@aor_254damn bruh are u listening to the video yes u can compare him to LeBron at that time he was better than LeBron. Lebron just had the better career because of Tmac back injury but skill wise LeBron has never been on TMac level if we talking pure skills not stats
@@shonrobinson1742 Yup. watched the video. First, what does that even mean, he's better in skills not stats? Thats the same type shit Bron fans sling when they compare him to Jordan. Doesnt mean anything. T mac is an all time great. No doubt. BUT, Injuries are not the ONLY reason TMac didn't go further in the playoffs or have a better career. He had a couple of winnable series that he choked including a blown 3-1 lead to Detroit in 03. Plus, his Houston teams were legit contenders with Yao and in the series he played, he had many bad 4Qs. Never made it out the first round. Let's not rewrite history.
What I don't get is we cook Lebron for being a choker and losing in big games (which no doubt are legit criticisms of his legacy), BUT we are now hypocritically giving TMac a pass for the same shit while calling them comparable. Keep in mind Lebron still got much farther in the playoffs than TMac even with his shitty Cleveland teams.
TMac was A BEAST from his Orlando day up to his 1st year in Hou.
It's true that he didn't had a Shaq and better team mates overall to match Kobe's playoff achievements. That Series with Yao vs Mavs was his first and only shot at it. After blowing a 2-0 to Mavs, it's downhill for him. His body was deteriorating as so as his skills and chances in the Playoffs.
People often forget Drazen Petrovic in this kind of discussion. He was one of few not afraid of Jordan.
Finally a video dedicated to one of the best players of the era I began to love NBA basketball.
I liked watching Penny's game the most. Also hated seeing Larry Johnson get injured. Tmac was smooth.
I saw some comments about penny, d rose, and hill being in that "greatest what ifs" convo. We could throw Bill Walton in there as well. Super skilled big man who couldn't get past those foot injuries. I'm guessing it's just "what ifs" based on injury, but if not, Len Bias was a f*cking STUD who would have been part of that late 80s Celtics crew.
Iverson, McGrady, Ginobili, Kobe, Ray Allen, and Dwade. Actual best era for 2 guards
The MJ effect.
@@JollyJoshumsGlazing heavy
You can include Vince, Rip, Allen Houston, and Redd in there as well.
@@jaydot4956 How when most of those guys are on record saying they based they're game off of MJ?
Mac was dragging ORL to the playoffs by himself every year he was there. Hill was injured, Duncan was going to ORL before Doc ruined it. 30ppg back then was 40ppg today
Tmac was also a huge choke artist when it mattered the most he was cancer to his own team in clutch moments
IF T-Mac and Duncan teamed up in Orlando, that DEFINITELY was a title or two.
@TherefslovesMichaelJorda LeBron stans really do have the lowest of iqs
t mac was really special.
remember when he scored 13 points in the last 35 seconds of the 4th quarter?
if there was no video, who would belive it :)
I honestly think about this with Brandon Roy and Derrick Rose. A lot of people forget that Damian Lillard was Roy's backup and that Blazers team looked pretty good being led by Roy. Until injuries happened with Roy, Oden, etc.....and I don't think Rose needs a description with his "what if?" scenario.
Idk man, it seems like you are having a Mandela Effect moment. Lillard was never on the Blazers with Roy. Roy retired (1st time) right after 2010-11 season. He didn't play at all in the 2011-12 season. Lillard's rookie year was 2012-2013. Roy unretired in Lillard's rookie season but Roy played with Minnesota, not Portland.
Other than that, I agree with everything. The Blazers really had an era ruined by Oden and Roy's injuries. They would've had a legit team with Roy, Oden, Batum, and Aldridge.
@@THE_BEAR_JEW I meant back up in that they drafted him, thinking Roy was still in mind. Since he retired that one year and they got llilard during that gap year, Roy had.
He basically was going to be his backup. Since they had that squad of Oden, Aldridge, and Roy. The Blazers were good under Roy, but he had all those injuries to deal with, so llillard wasn't like their intended star.
@@Blackjack09721What, they played a full year without Roy before they even drafted Lillard. 😂
T-Mac's short but incredible prime is like that of Terrell Davis, who experienced far more team success (but that was for being in far more fortunate circumstances). In their peaks, they were easily the top offensive forces in their respective sports.
My favourite player as a kid. If only he stayed in Toronto
The biggest what ifs to me are guys we barely got to see or not at all.
Imo Len Bias and Reggie Lewis dying so early changed a lot of basketball history. The Celtics were handing the torch off to em but instead, they ended up being kind of an irrelevant franchise until the late 2000s.
The others are internationals who I think would've made international basketball players accepted at a much earlier time. Dražen Petrović was the fricking man but he died at an early age. Arvydas Saboniswas also awesome but unfortunately, the Soviets would not let him play in the USA until his prime was pretty much over. Due to this, it took until around the early 2010s for internationals to start getting more respect. It was due to the Gasol bros, Ibaka, Dirk, Manu, Parker, and Steve Nash. I just wonder how many internationals got passed over because Arvydas Sabonis and Dražen Petrović didn't get a change to play in the NBA as much as they should've.
Yup definitely would have taken a few rings from the bulls for sure
TMac’s jumper is one of the prettiest things I’ve ever seen in sports.
1st tier: Penny, TMac and Grant Hill
2nd: DRose, BRoy, Greg Ofen
3rd:Yao Ming, Jay Williams,
I love T Mac. But the fact that he didn't make it out the first round of the playoffs until he was a bench warmer on the Spurs is extremely damning to his legacy.
I’m glad he’s not being forgotten. What a great player and fun to watch
My favorite player of all time. Kobe said himself he is 6’4 without shoes and Mike is about 6’4.5 however Mac was closer to 6’9 or 6’10 standing next to KG. Mac had the same style of play as Kobe and Mike except he can shoot over defenders much easily. Mac, manu and rip Hamilton are the three least talked about superstars.
From an offensive skill set and production standpoint, when he was healthy, T-Mac was second to no one ever. I think that highly of him.
Offensively T Mac was a 2 inches taller Kobe...
Definitely one of the best 5 players I have ever seen, despite the lack of playoff success.
1 Michael
2 Kobe
3 Steph
4 Iverson
5 McGrady
McGrady's 32.1 ppg In a league avg 95.1 ppg, is like putting up 38.6 ppg during a league avg 114.2 ppg
It’s doesn’t work like that 32 is 32
Mac, hill, penny, Brandon Roy. We really missed out on top level players
I miss the days when defense was played. League is so soft and pathetic. Great video Skap!
You saying T Mac was a great defender
I don’t miss the days when offense was nonexistent.
When it was all defense, I stopped watching for years until Dirk’s 2011 title run
Your a casual
@brianharron3435 no just the points per game stats Skap talked about.
@@cherimoneeboone7127 ok, good one.
I recall Mcgrady and Duncan were being recruited by Orlando that year. Instead they got 2 injured players Grant Hill and McGrady.
McGrady wasn't known as injury prone at that time, to be fair
Two of the five biggest injury what ifs on the same team at the same time. Then T-Mac joined Yao smh, another all time what if.
@@skap_attack Fun fact Jerry West Almost Got Tmac in 1997 -
@@skap_attack yea those 09 Rockets with a healthy TMac may have won the whole thing. Their defense was elite with Battier and Artest
FINALLY someone makes this video. T-Mac was that dude from 2002-2005.
3 of the biggest what ifs all played for Orlando. And 2 of them played for Portland. Possibly 3 if you count Sam Bowie
Tracy McGrady are The 2 Greatest What Ifs in NBA history but imagine if they didn't get hurt and Doc Rivers didn't botch the Tim Duncan deal in 2000
Man T-Mac was my favorite player growing up. He was unstoppable during his magic days if they weren't a terrible team he could have done some things I feel like. To me this might be the most tragic story of all even Kobe gave him props on how unguardable he was. I mean T-Mac was so good he almost beat the number 1 seeded pistons in the playoffs by himself and we all know how good of a defensive team the pistons were during that time.
I love the way you give us context for these comparisons. 32 ppg ain't what it used to be...
T-Mac was the only guy on par with Kobe back then as far as I was concerned.
t-mac was special, definitely a massive what if. and you didn't even mention his iconic last minute performance with houston, what was it like 13 points in 34 seconds or something. that shit was legendary. i got nothing but big ups for t-mac. props for giving him some shine.
Baron Davies completely derailed T-Macs playoff legacy. He just wasnt good enough when it came to playoff basketball, and I can remember his coaches calling him lazy. Amazing highlights though. His comeback vs the Spurs is legendary...
07-08 Tmac was awesome, the Rockets were so balanced he did not need to score as much. They went on 20 game win streak and Yao's season ended in the middle of it costing them the season. Teams could not figure out Yao and Scola on both sides of the ball and Battier became an elite defender. Tmac as well.
Thanks for doing this video Skap. McGrady is my 2nd favorite (Behind Kobe) player of all time. I go back n forth between T-Mac and Penny for 2nd place. You should do a video on Penny Hardaway as well. He was truly SPECIAL before his injuries. He was a 6'7 PG that was quick, had handles defense, high basketball IQ, athleticism, could pass like Magic, and could score like a Kobe on high efficiency when needed too.
I'm from Detroit so Grant Hill was a massive disappointment health-wise. It's crazy to think that Penny, TMac, and Grant were all on the Magic and all suffered basically the same curse.
T Mac my favorite small forward of all time, great vid Skap
I remember T-Mac when he was in his prime. He was damn good. I even saw him in a Knicks jersey on 2010. I felt if he brought that mentality when he played with Orlando, he would have been a good piece. Didn't see it that way.
Love the videos, very entertaining, keep it up!
Thank you so much! I greatly appreciate the kind words and your support.
Hmmm, this would be a great debate for the Sunday streams. I usually think of Grant Hill or Brandon Roy as the greatest What Ifs. Great video!
For me the greatest what if in basketball is always going to be penny, and d Rose have they never gotten hurt the NBA would look a lot different .
penny is still the greatest what if. he was 1st team in just his second season and he was scoring with ease against scottie pippen. even jordan said penny was likely going to take over the league when he retired. and btw, penny was also clutch and could easily carry a team with ball distribution or scoring
He is flat out the greatest scoring talent of all time. That 13 points in 30 seconds was just a microcosm of his abilities
Grant Hill isn’t the bigger what if? Or Penny Or D Rose at least?
Agreed 💯 had his shoes while playing all growing up, the man’s a hero
Roy, Hill, McGrady and Penny Hardaway would've made the GOAT debate completely different..
They very realistically could have...
Yao and D Rose
Larry Johnson is another one that comes to mind if not for his back issues
Kobe commented before that TMac was the player he had the most trouble against, mostly because they were of the same make but TMac had length on him. He was an offensive juggernaut at a time when defenses were dominant. Insane potential, what could have been. I wish he could have gotten that chip with the Spurs. Much respect to this phenom.
Can u imagine if T Mac had Kobe mindset and work ethic
Kawhi is becoming the biggest what if. If knees were not made of hay ....how many more rings are won? Maybe the load management doesn't exist and he could win regular mvp.
If Kawai never would’ve had knee issues, I honestly think he would’ve gone down as a greater player of this generation, and of all time, then Kevin Durant or Steph Curry. I still believe he would’ve reached his full potential if he stayed in San Antonio.
Skap you the truth for this one!! Much props 🎉🎉 🫡🫡
There's another interesting story about that Orlando team. Tim Duncan was also about to join TMac and Hill in Orlando after his rookie contract but Orlando management did not allow Duncan's family to travel in the same plane with the team so Duncan decided to stay in San Antonio...
TMac and Duncan would have dominated the East even if Hill didn't play...TMac and Duncan in the finals against Shaq and Kobe...What could have been...
Nah T-Mac had chances to win. Just like CP3. Dude just ain't a winner.
McGrady would've been a top 15 all time player without injuries,he was crazy good. Grant Hill and Brandon Roy are also big what ifs. Yao Ming unfortunately couldn't stay healthy mostly cause of his size, that was him take it or leave it.
Tracy McGrady was a great player, and it's a damn shame that injuries kept him from a full career with the success that he deserved.
Magic t mac was a monster 🤌💯🍻
He should have stayed in Toronto with his cousin. They would have done sime special things together.
wish you have included the 13 points in 35 seconds game ender at san antonio, for better context of how good he was for the kids watching!
Do one for Penny as well.
He's also a What If.
Tracey McGardy is still my 2nd favorite from the early 2000s. I just wish he had good health, it makes you wonder what if Shaq stayed with Orlando when they got T-Mac
This would be a great series.
He had the #1 seeded Pistons down 3-1 in the first round the first year they changed the playoff format in 2003 from best of 5 to best of 7. Without this change his 8 seeded Magic would’ve pulled off a huge upset in what was T-Mac’s best season
DERRICK ROSE!! BEST PG I HAVE EVER SEEN WITH TWO EYES UNTIL HE GOT HURT..
Don't forget Penny Hardaway..
McGrady was an exceptional talent & injuries derailed his career, but he was almost the precursor to Harden or CP3 with the way he choked in the playoffs when he was healthy.
One of my favorites and why i can't just easily dismiss some players as losers. Sure, he could have been greater with a stronger mentality-but that's still unfair to him given his teams were just trash/unhealthy/lacking in depth. And yet, i understand why so many hate him in every place he went. In order to hate, you first must have loved i suppose. T-Mac just couldn't shut his mouth. He'd say things that would get him in trouble with the fans often. He was too candid with the media and it always came back to haunt him.
Rockets fan from Houston so his best Orlando years, i just saw the nationally televised games and highlights. Incredible talent. One of the top 5 greatest NBA "TALENT's" in NBA history. We got that T-Mac in Houston for his first year. He was still lean and quick and while his back started hurting in Orlando, they were temporary flare ups. A tall guy like T-Mac dribbled close to the floor with those long arms and crouched down-and he would burst and attack with all that length out of nowhere so his back was crucial to how he played.
We had JVG slow us down and play through Yao, so while T-mac has a ton of great highlights from that first year in Houston, his stats don't reflect how good he still was. He absolutely was still a 30ppg scoring guard, but now he was showing much more brilliance in vision and passing IQ. A lot of the stuff LeBron gets praised for, T-Mac had the same. The height and length and vision to make cross court passes look so easy and accurate. He had some Penny like flash to his passing as well. The 1st round series vs the Mavs was epic back and forth until g7. If JVG has critical faults, it's that he just will not adjust and he will run his players into the ground(like Thibs). The Mavs absolutely demolished us in g7. Embarrassing and sickening stain on what was a great season. Keep in mind our starting PF was Ryan Bowen as Juwan Howard was out, So not enough people give T-Mac credit for actually defending Dirk, but come on. We had Ryan Bown on Dirk most of the time. That's just unfair. While All Star Josh Howard was on T-Mac. It was just a poor matchup against Dirk and we were slow on the perimeter.
*I love JVG btw even with his faults as well. He will never sleep bc he cares so much about winning and the team. I love his fight and ultimately that's the kind of coach i wanted for T-Mac and Yao long term-and even today with the pampered, all flash of todays young players*
After that, T-Mac's body got wrecked. Only, we didn't know it. We saw him much more muscular. He looked kind of strange. Like he skipped leg day and had this swole upper body. It was to play SF and deal with the grind against stronger players in a half court setting. He clearly lost explosion, but he still was very elite as a Point Forward now, only now his back spasms were hitting hard on and off and he couldn't gain momentum on the season. He had to be carted off on a stretcher at one point. He played in the All Star game here in Houston and had like 30something pts and looked good, but the season was lost with all the injuries.
Year 3-He was far more solid, playing in 71 games, but of course if T-Mac is healthy, Yao can't be so Yao missed half the season and we still won 52 games.
Utah series. Man i think i loved these years b/c we faced so many of our nemesis and it makes it so much more fun. We battled Utah a lot during the Hakeem years. This Utah team with Deron Williams(VERY underrated and forgotten PG along with Booz/Ak47/Okur/JSloan) had a kryptonite on us. Okur would stretch the floor at C and force Yao to come out to the 3pt line. Remember how i said JVG refuses to adjust? 7 games he refused to adjust. Despite that, we were talented enough to push it to 7 and in g7, that loss was NOT on T-Mac. People point to how T-mac was aggressive through 3 and stopped attacking in the 4th, but the game was close and it was Yao who could not grab a single defensive rebound and it was Yao who by JVG's refusal to adjust could not get out in time to defend Okurs 3 pointer that sealed our fate.
Year 4 was strange. T-Mac was clearly slower, but still good. He was in and out of the lineup along with Yao. It's as if they were cursed that only one could be healthy at the same time. I dont know the numbers, but i'm willing to bet we didn't get very much of Yao and T-Mac on the floor together through those years vs one or the other. We had an epic 22 game winning streak after a poor start. I believe half the first game of the streak everyone was healthy and then Yao went out and old man Mutumbo started and our streak continued. Dike was phenomenal. Yao was lost for the season and once again our hearts were broken that we were showing NBA championship potential, but just could not catch a break.
Utah series once again. This time we had Rick the Ruler Adleman. Fantastic coach. T-Mac did really well even with his bad shoulder. This is a much heavier and slwoer T-Mac with injuries all around and his back spasms and he avg 27/8/7. His efficiency dropped with lack of explosion, but the talent was still there. The Jazz were just too much and DWill killed us on the perimeter.
Year 5. We get Artest and we have depth. Everyone excited about the season. T-mac's done. We go on to show our heart and battle through Portland with Dike going down and ending his career in that series. Dike had been incredible for us through the Yao injuries and it was a heartbreaking way to lose him to injury as well. He was a fan favorite and Dike himself loves his Houston years more than any others despite us never winning. We finally get out of the 1st round only T-Mac is in a suit. Remember how i said T-Mac just couldn't shut his mouth? Well fans were already on edge that T-mac got a surgery that the Rockets doctors were telling him not to get, and that's why he was done for the season. Now. We're in the 2nd round against Kobe's Lakers. T-Mac, maybe in bitterness in knowing we got out the first round without him(but Portland was just a better matchup than Utah and T-Mac jus thad that bad luck follow him everywhere and we had Scola and yao both killing it in the front court which T-Mac never had the luxury of). So T-Mac goes to the media and predicts the Lakers as champs while we're facing them in the playoffs. As you can imagine, he lost probably MOST Rockets fans that day. Many hate him, and unfairly blame him for the previous losses till this day.
Yao had his Willis Reed moment, but ultimately like clock work-went down with injury. Our role players showed incredible heart and ultimately fell short of knocking off Kobe and the Lakers in G7.
You can see why we believe we were championship caliber had we only had health and a bit of luck in better match ups.
Outside of the Hakeem years, the T-Mac/Yao years are my favorite even with all the ups and downs. The heartbreak. I saw that as similar to the Hakeem years where in order to succeed you must first fail. It leaves a bad stain in your mouth and memory to look back on it and know injuries are the reason why T-Mac and Yao and co. aren't champions.
The Harden years were fun, but i just wasn't as emotionally attached anymore and it was ugly to watch us shoot so many 3s despite winning and blowing everyone out. It was boring to watch. The GS loss hurt as much as any of them. People praise Lebron and the Cavs for beating the 73 win Warriors with key injuries/suspensions, but everyone forgets Harden and an older CP3 people were already calling washed-took the KD Warriors-the supposed greatest team ever assembled-to the brink. Leading the series and being up double digits in both g6 and g7. Of course....CP3 injury. Rockets have been cursed with critical injuries ever since 96. This one wasn't just on injuries though, b/c without CP3, we were leading in G7. It was live or die by the 3 that did us in. Everyone remembers. All those 3pt bricks and we wouldn't stop shooting them and adjust and attack or go for open mid range shots. That's what killed us. Lack of adjustments runs in our coach's DNA ever since Rudy T.
Skap! Can you please make a video on this deplorable list of the 78 greatest players by HoopsHype?
Smoothest pull-up jumper and he did it with swagger
That boy Mac is my favorite SG of all time...
An ELITE scorer...
An actual bucket...
Like, a pail with legs and a sleepily athletic first step...
T Mac had one of the saddest press conferences in 2007.
Finally some T-Mac love. Yet another player I’d take over LeBalco.
Rent free😂
@@calebvanberkom5571 bag free
T mac said “It’s good that we are getting to the second round” before choking a 3-1 lead and he was injury prone and a choker as the number one option.
Lmfao yeah the dude who never made it past the first round in his career and choked a 3-1 lead the only time he could’ve made it past is better than the guy who the all time leading scorer and is the 2nd player to be in the 4/4/4 club
@@HoodieMelo-ul1gc probably would have if he had been weak enough to need a super team 🤷🏿♂️.
Hardaway #1 , Grant Hill & TMac + DRose💪💪💪💪💪
I definitely considered all of those guys. Penny certainly has a good case. Unfortunately for him the two first team all NBA seasons came when Jordan was out of the NBA. That could have given more context to exactly what he was doing then. Like looking at McGrady next to Kobe in T-Mac's first team seasons, you can make a case, McGrady was right there.
@@skap_attack , TMac was awesome 👍 GHill used to be so smooth ,Penny is so good and DRose simply amazing !!!!
Tracy McGrady, Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, and Derrick Rose all come to mind as the biggest what if’s.
McGrady was a super good defender. Not sure why "at least at the offense end" was said. And Grant Hill's career wasn't cut short. He played 19 seasons. His potential was definitely ruined by injuries. Definitely a what if.
Little disappointed there was no "It's a complete crap!" although it certainly wouldn't apply to T-Mac's career.
I enjoy the videos - thank you!
Penny Hardaway was a Monster too!!! That's who T-Mac reminds me of the most,,, with more of a scorers mentality than an assist guy...
What if MJ was drafted by Portland? That could've changed the landscape in the western conference.
Being an Orlando Magic fan from way back in the Shaq/Penny days, when T-Mac came to Orlando he was definitely fun to watch........Just imagine if the Magic would have got Tim Duncan in free agency and Grant Hill would of never got injured in Detroit. That Orlando team with Timmy. T-Mac and Grant Hill would have been nice.
T Mac was my favorite player in the early 2000s. I loved watching him
Tmac/Grant Hill/Derrick Rose / Penny Hardaway/And Pete Maravich are my top 5 What if...
Problem is that in the 2000’s these dudes stop lifting the weights that begin in the 90’s, so these dudes stayed hurt.
that is a very interesting question
This was just injury related of course...
Kobe vs T-Mac was must see basketball TV. To quote Kobe “he could do everything I could do but he was 6’9”. T-Mac, Grant Hill, and Penny. What could have been 😢
TMac made people forget Penny in Orlando. He was a beast
I liked this curveball Skap! Could you do a video on what team (single season or not) had the biggest what if thought bubble lingering overhead in your eyes?
I will never get the T-Mac what if? It only should be asked what if he had better teammates and that is about it. The man in a span of 8 years averaged 26, 6 and 5 playing around 70 games per year. If he stayed healthy for the next 3-4 years he would have probably get out the first round but that is about it.
The true what if players that we never seen hit their peak is someone like Derrick Rose or Bill Walton.
Exactly he had a good run at the top and did absolutely nothing
TMAC! Besides Kobe and MJ one of my favorites.
Me too! Kobe has been my guy from the moment he entered the league. But I LOVED T-Mac in those early 2000 years as well. it was an absolute pleasure when Kobe and McGrady played each other. And they actually were childhood friends too. Which is pretty cool.
@@skap_attack it is! Legends. Thank you for the reply Skap! keep doing the good work man, we appreciate you.
Tracy McGrady was one of my all-time favorite players when I was growing up and when I was playing basketball I used to try to play like him in the backyard along eoth Jordan 😂😂😂😂😂
Even Kobe Bryant said that T-Mac was the toughest guy to guard!
TMac- Grant Hill and Penny are my greatest What if? if they made the 2000s without injury for sure Kobe will be having a lot of wars with these amazing talents
I think Harold "Baby Jordan" Miner should've gotten Honorable Mention! 🤣
Brandon Roy and DRose are special for me on that 'what if' category, they truly kept on trying til their bodies gave up on them and they couldnt hide how much it hurt for them not to be able to play.
Yao too
Also teams actually played defense back then and it wasn’t just a 3 point shootout league lol
Tmac best years were on the raptors and magic. He was done when they sent to him to Houston.
Kobe and Tmac were close friends in Tmac's first couple of yrs in NBA. They hang out in Kobe's house went to amusement park. Then Kob got too focused and training himself to be like Mike. There's one game in 06 when Kob elbowed T mac's back to check it. But they were just laughing it off in a 2019 interview. T mac's 1st shoe with Adidas back in 02 was also great! His comeback win over the Spurs in the last 40 seconds is still the best in his career.