Tracy McGrady was unquestionably one of the most talented and fun-to-watch players of his generation.
Although he never quite reached championship-heights, McGrady left an impression on the league and the sport that will last for a long time to come.
One player who had immense respect for McGrady was Kobe Bryant. The Los Angeles Lakers legend frequently cited him as an incredibly difficult player to guard. There was a very real familiarity between the two men.
This week, during an interview on WFAN Sports Radio with Evan Roberts and Craig Carton, McGrady told a hilarious story involving his old rival.
“We were in Paris and I was getting ready to go work out and he was like, ‘Bro, what are you going to work out for?’ I was like, ‘Man I’m just going to stay in shape and get ready for the upcoming season.’ He’s like, ‘It’s too early, it’s the offseason.’ He’s just testing me. I was like okay, whatever,” McGrady said.
“So, I go upstairs and change and I chill for a while. I go to the gym, walk-in, (and) who’s in there sweating? It was him. I just shook my head and I was like, ‘Bro, didn’t you just tell me?’ Those were the mind games that Kobe played and I figured it out early.”
Classic Kobe. A truly one-of-a-kind personality that people often attempt to duplicate, but can never quite replicate.
Because of Bryant’s untimely passing, it’s important that stories like this continue to be told.
Be it old interviews of Bryant explaining what’d happen if him and LeBron James ever played one-on-one, or his predictions of how the LeBron-led Lakers would fare, or his prophetic comments on James Harden’s future – it’s all valuable.
All of it provides a unique window into one of the greatest minds in hoops history.
What incredible Kobe Bryant story will ultimately come out next?
Time will tell.
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