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Tracy McGrady Makes Honest Kobe Bryant Admission Amid NBA Ring Controversy

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Gautam Varier | Last updated Jun 29, 2025 12:57 PM ET

Tracy McGrady was one of the greatest scorers of his generation and had a bit of a rivalry with Kobe Bryant in the 2000s. Bryant would gain the upper hand in it, as he ended up winning five titles while McGrady failed to win even one.

McGrady didn't always have a great supporting cast around him, and to make matters worse, his career would be derailed by injuries as well. Despite those factors, his lack of postseason success has always been held against him, and he unsurprisingly doesn't believe that's fair.

During an appearance on "First Take" on June 20, McGrady stated he would have won championships if he had been playing alongside Shaquille O'Neal instead of Bryant on the Los Angeles Lakers.

"Replace me with Kobe with Shaq, I don't win a championship?" McGrady asked. "You don't think I can carry the Lakers to a championship? I've never had the opportunity. I felt like if I was put in that position to win a championship, I damn sure would show up and do what I do in the playoffs to elevate my team to that level."

Bryant and O'Neal led the Lakers to a historic three-peat from 2000 to 2002. Would the team have had a similar kind of success with McGrady? We'll never know for sure, but he did finish sixth in MVP voting in 2001 and fourth in 2002.

McGrady received some pushback for this take, and he has now made it clear he has the utmost respect for Bryant. The 46-year-old posted an Instagram story in which he stated that Bryant and Michael Jordan are in a separate class from every other player in history.

LeBron James is often considered the biggest challenger to Jordan for that GOAT title. McGrady, though, believes it's Bryant and that was the ultimate compliment.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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