Tracy McGrady went off on fans who try to damage Michael Jordan’s legacy by disrespecting the level of competition he played against. McGrady believes these fans are mostly Gen Z fans who never watched Jordan play in their lifetime, and he set the record straight for them.
“Get the f— out of here. That’s gotta be like these Gen Z people saying that. There’s no way in hell you saw Michael Jordan play. Stop talking about who he played against, please, we gotta stop that. ‘Oh, he was out there playing with plumbers’. The guy is not built like LeBron playing against these guys, Michael Jordan is 6’6, 210, and dominating.”
McGrady continued by calling Jordan incredible and using his status as someone who played in the ’90s and through the 2000s to affirm that Jordan was on a different level from everyone else.
“He’s not a freak of nature, so why does it matter who he’s out there competing against? That shouldn’t matter. He’s just better than everybody else. You go watch and study his game, the guy was, come on man. He was incredible, it was nothing like I’ve ever seen someone on a basketball court… What people are saying, what I’m saying, is damn true. He was that great.”
Jordan would have been one of the greatest players to step onto a court regardless of the era he played. McGrady said Jordan wasn’t a freak of nature, but not all NBA players can be 6’6″ and have one of the highest recorded verticals in NBA history. Jordan was born with springs on his feet, which makes his ‘Jumpman’ moniker and brand perfect for his play style.
Competition usually improves linearly, especially when the financial stakes of the NBA are on offer. Future generations of players get to borrow from what Jordan’s generation did and learn to further improve how they play. The game is constantly evolving, so it is fair to say competition across the league is more challenging now.
What isn’t fair to say is dismissing the level of competition in the ’80s and ’90s. Jordan’s statistics were miles ahead of his competitors in that era, in a way we haven’t seen replicated. His 10-scoring titles, five MVPs, and six Finals MVPs with a 6-0 Finals record should be proof enough of how much better he was compared to the competition. That’s a testament to his greatness, not the weakness of his era.
Jeff Van Gundy Believes Michael Jordan Would Average 40 Points In The Modern Era
People have often tried placing Michael Jordan in the modern era to see what he could achieve. Former ESPN commentator and current Clippers assistant Jeff Van Gundy made it clear that he thinks Jordan would be averaging over 40 points in the modern era’s softer defense and lighter physicality.
“If you would give the ball to Jordan in his prime with these rules, with all the shooting, and think that he wasn’t going to shoot over 50%? Michael shot over 50% with limited 3-point shooting, and limited space in the triangle offense….at the highest form of physicality, the (Detroit) Pistons or the (New York) Knicks trying to take your head off. So there is (absolutely) no question Michael Jordan would have led the league in scoring (in today’s time)…..he would’ve averaged 40 (points).”
Jordan’s resume of six titles, six Finals MVPs, a 6-0 Finals record, 10 scoring titles, five regular-season MVPs, one Defensive Player of the Year, 14 All-Star teams, and 11 All-NBA teams is a true testament to his greatness. He averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.3 steals over his playing career, currently sitting at No. 5 in the all-time scoring charts.
