In December 2004, when Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal met for the first time after their dramatic Lakers split, all eyes were glued to their interaction at center court. The two icons, who had once captured three championships together, now stood as rivals, and even their brief awkward pregame hug dominated headlines. Now, more than twenty years later, the NBA may be on the verge of another moment just as captivating.
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Tracy McGrady believes Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum may bring that same anticipation to their first meeting of the 2026-27 season, which is at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on November 10.
“JB is coming to hoop. He, he is definitely looking at that game and circling that on his calendar,” McGrady said while speaking to Vince Carter on their ‘Cousins’ podcast. “It reminds me of – it’s that anticipation when Shaq left Kobe and that first game.”
McGrady believes that while Brown will come into the game with something to prove, Tatum has to take things as they are.
“JT, at this point, just take it for what it is. JB ain’t trying to be friends.”
He also believes that things may come to a head when Tatum and Brown face off for the first time in the regular season. T-Mac noted how icy the relationship between Tatum and Brown has become, recalling their preseason exchange.
“When they had the preseason game, the two was right there, right next to each other. They didn’t make eye contact or communicate with each other.”
Indeed, despite being mere feet away from each other during their preseason game on October 11, they didn’t interact at all. The two former teammates refused to share a glance, speak to each other, or even bump fists.
Even while doing their pregame warmups close to each other, there was no interaction between the two.
Furthermore, since Brown didn’t play in the preseason game, their regular-season matchup will be the first against each other since the trade.
Similar to how Shaq and Kobe kept things civil in their interactions, Tatum and Brown have stayed relatively low-key while speaking about one another.
Apart from Brown’s explosive comment about Tatum’s inner circle, there has been no explicit animosity between the two. However, similar to Kobe and Shaq, McGrady is looking forward to their first on-court exchange.
During their 2004 Christmas Day matchup, Kobe and Shaq both went all out in their attempt to beat the other. Bryant dropped a whopping 42 points and 6 assists while O’Neal had 24 points and 11 rebounds.
Although Shaq fouled out in regulation time while trying to defend Bryant, he got the last laugh as the Heat won 104-102 in an OT thriller. Dwyane Wade played a crucial role, with his 29-point, 10-assist effort.
While the circumstances surrounding their beef remain largely a matter of speculation, McGrady believes Brown and Tatum have reached a point where their play speaks louder than any words exchanged off the court.
The NBA legend also pointed to several other complicated relationships in basketball history, including Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, as examples of how even the most successful partnerships can eventually fall apart.
For Tatum and Brown, however, their first meeting as opponents will offer an opportunity to put their differences aside and decide things on-court. Whether they acknowledge each other at the opening tip or recreate Shaq and Kobe’s awkward half-hug remains to be seen.
But if Kobe and Shaq’s first showdown is anything to go by, this Celtics-Sixers clash could be just as captivating as the anticipation leading up to it.