Tracy McGrady was one of the finest offensive players of his generation and an interesting question was put forth to him recently. McGrady was asked who would win a 1-on-1 game between him and Michael Jordan at their primes and here’s what he had to say.
“I’m about three inches taller than MJ so he won’t affect my shot at all,” McGrady said. “He’s cat-quick, so I have to give him some space but he can shoot the mid-range, he elevates well on his shot. MJ was strong.
“Again, seven-game series, I think it could go either way,” McGrady continued. “I think it would be a good competition, though, because I don’t think MJ has ever faced a guy like myself, with the skill set that I have. Being 6’9”, being able to shoot the ball, the quickness with the ball, the creativity off the dribble with it.
“It’s all hypothetical, man,” McGrady stated. “Who the f— knows? I just would have loved to play MJ 1-on-1.”
It sure seemed like McGrady wanted to say he would win but then decided to give the politically correct answer. I do think he could have given Jordan, or anyone else, for that matter, plenty of headaches.
McGrady was a force of nature on offense at his peak. He was an explosive athlete who could score from anywhere on the court. If I had to pick his best season, it would be 2002-03, where he averaged 32.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game for the Orlando Magic.
Kobe Bryant once said that McGrady was the toughest guy he ever played against, ahead of the likes of Kevin Durant, Allen Iverson, and Carmelo Anthony. He was undoubtedly a special talent but would he beat Jordan 1-on-1? I have my doubts about that.
There are too many seasons to pick from when it comes to Jordan’s prime, but let’s just go with the 1987-88 campaign. He put up 35.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 3.2 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game for the Chicago Bulls, which is just absurd. He would score almost at will against McGrady, who wasn’t a great defender to begin with.
On the other end, while Jordan is giving up three inches, he was ever so strong, as McGrady himself mentioned. The Bulls icon, who also won DPOY in 1988, would have at least managed to bother him enough, from time to time, to eventually come out on top.
Tracy McGrady Believes Kobe Bryant Would Have Beaten Michael Jordan If They Played 1-On-1
While McGrady didn’t go as far as to say he would beat Jordan, there is someone else whom he believes would have gotten the better of the five-time MVP. McGrady said Bryant would beat Jordan in a 1-on-1 game.
“I’m going with Kob,” McGrady said. “I’m going with Kob because I think Kobe was the most skilled basketball player I’ve ever seen. I think he took what MJ was and enhanced that skill set.”
As great as Bryant was, Jordan was just better and I think he would have beaten him too. While some like McGrady would argue that Kobe took what Jordan did and enhanced it, he still didn’t end up achieving as much as his idol did in his career.
