Kobe Bryant was one of those players who gave more than 100% on the court. Just as he played at his best, he also wanted his opponents to play at their best. People who played against him knew how tough he was.
The late Kobe Bryant had played against many great players. But he always used to have a battle against a specific player. That player was Tracy McGrady, a.k.a. T-Mac. McGrady was considered one of the best players and scorers in the NBA despite his injuries. Recently, McGrady shared a photo of him and Kobe reminiscing about old memories.
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Kobe considered McGrady as his toughest opponent. He said he faced problems while guarding McGrady who got inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.
Just like Kobe, McGrady also skipped college and went directly to the league. McGrady was drafted in 1997, a year after Kobe. During the starting seasons of his career, he had problems developing in the game. But after a few years, he became a monster on the court. He was also the NBA scoring champion for two consecutive seasons in 2002-03 and 2003-04.
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Defenders experienced difficulties while defending against McGrady. His height of 6’8″ gave him the ability to make use of this height to shoot over the defenders. The Los Angeles Lakers legend also faced the same problems while defending against him. Whenever he faced McGrady, Kobe thought he was defending against a taller version of himself.
Fans react to the photo of Kobe Bryant with T-Mac
Both players faced each other several numbers of times in the early 2000s. In 21 meetings, Kobe won 14 games and McGrady won seven games. They ensured that the fans get to experience a thrilling match with the kind of game they played.
Despite being rivals on the court, they had a good relationship between them. They quickly developed a friendship after entering the NBA.
Da kids pic.twitter.com/DCpdaBBoLy
— T Mac (@Tmac_213) November 3, 2022
Meanwhile, Tracy McGrady recently shared a photo of him and Kobe Bryant on his social media handle. This got fans also feeling nostalgic and they shared their thoughts on how they used to love their rivalry.
Here are some of the reactions from NBA Twitter:
Loved watching you guys go against each other. Always was an epic battle.
— Ross Peterson (@SpursyKnight) November 3, 2022
young goats🐐 https://t.co/qZk8CKex9s
— champagnepapi (@jimmyco0ks) November 4, 2022
My favs 💪🏾💪🏾 https://t.co/f70MyDlIai
— TrussInGod91 (@God91In) November 4, 2022
Da KINGS👑👑 https://t.co/kpNT9mrCqh
— 🇸🇳⭐️ (@abdousoum19) November 4, 2022
LOVE THIS https://t.co/RRiZwIVgz7
— Joel DiEugenio (@JDiEugenio87) November 4, 2022
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My two favorite players ever… @LuisRodRo97 https://t.co/qHhCgz3Smk
— JO Manaure (@JO_MNR25) November 4, 2022
Fans seemed to get emotional reminiscing about the legendary battles between both of them. The photo made everyone go back in time along with T-Mac himself.
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What are your thoughts on the rivalry between Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady? Do you think McGrady could have gone on to become one of the best without his injuries? Let us know in the comments below.