When you discuss the most naturally gifted scorers in basketball history, the conversation begins and ends with Tracy McGrady. From his early days as a high-school-to-pro phenom to his legendary scoring titles and the iconic 13 points in 33 seconds, T-Mac’s game was defined by a smooth, effortless dominance that left defenders helpless. As I sat down with the Hall of Famer, it was clear that the same precision he used to dismantle defenses is now applied to his perspective on the game’s evolution and his own storied journey.
Today, McGrady has successfully traded the hardwood for the broadcast desk, bringing his elite basketball IQ to NBC as a premier analyst. Beyond the camera, he has leaned heavily into his entrepreneurial spirit, launching the Ones Basketball League (OBL) to cater to a new generation of fans who crave high-intensity, short-form competition. Whether he’s breaking down modern perimeter play or scouting the next great one-on-one specialist, T-Mac remains a vital bridge between the golden era of the 2000s and the digital-first future of the sport.
In this exclusive sit-down, we peel back the layers of a career often defined by “what-ifs.” We dive into the secret recruitment of the 1997 Kentucky Wildcats, the intense obsession Jerry Krause had with bringing him to the Chicago Bulls to potentially replace Scottie Pippen, and the intimate moments spent watching karate movies with a young Kobe Bryant in Paris. It is a raw, nostalgic look at the decisions that shaped the NBA landscape and the respect that remains for the icons who paved the way.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: You’ve been on some legendary college recruiting trips. Is there one story from your high school days that stands out?
Tracy McGrady: Whoooooo!! [laughs] This one? I think this one is too much for TV or the internet and I don’t even want to open up that box but… [laughing] I definitely got a story to tell but I never tell those stories to everybody. Kentucky had me sold. It was really not about the recruitment; it was more so about how the players were living. In their player’s lounge, all the players were driving fully loaded—this is 1997—fully loaded Eddie Bauers. I’m talking about the Expeditions, the big joints, and they were pushin’ those back in ’97. College players! Kentucky did it right for their basketball program and they had me sold.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: You and Kobe were famously mentioned in the same breath in a Jay-Z line. Where were you when you first heard that, and what were your thoughts?
Tracy McGrady: I was in Orlando at home. My joint was blowing up because Jay gave me a shout in a few of his joints, right? Even on the Freeway song “What We Do,” and that went crazy. To have your favorite artist give you a shoutout in a couple of songs, I mean, that’s love. It shows love and shows that you appreciate the craft you portray out there.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: We have to talk about that iconic dunk on Shawn Bradley. Looking back, what goes through your mind?
Tracy McGrady: You know, I did a Verzuz with Allen Iverson and we were showing our 10 best highlights, and that was one highlight I kept out. I don’t know if you know what happened to Shawn Bradley; he’s paralyzed now, so just out of respect for him, I didn’t want to show it. But that was one of those moments in my career that will live on forever.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: How influential were you in the planning process of your creativity with Adidas back then?
Tracy McGrady: You gotta be in that process because you want it to resonate with you as an individual and your character. For me, it was about my personality. I thought it was cool, street, hip, our culture… but it was also me. I have a part of me that takes jabs here and there. I’m not loud—I’m one of those guys that in the midst of everyone grabbing a rebound, I’m shooting an elbow so nobody can see it [laughs]. That’s me.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: A lot of players in this generation look at you the way your generation looked at Penny Hardaway. Do you see yourself in that light?
Tracy McGrady: I idolized Penny. MJ was everybody’s favorite, but Penny brought something different: a 6’7” point guard, poetry in motion. To hear guys come after me and talk about me in that same light, that’s what it’s really all about—inspiring the next generation. But I’ll say this: guys nowadays don’t watch the game, bruh. They’re looking at video clips. I ask my boys, “Where’s your inspiration coming from?” They just don’t watch, and that’s why I started my league [OBL], because it’s short-form content for these Gen-Z’ers who can’t sit down for a 2 ½ hour sporting event.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: How realistic was the opportunity to sign Tim Duncan in Orlando?
Tracy McGrady: Oh, it was REAL! I was actually the third wheel; it was Grant Hill and Tim Duncan before it was me. There was a rumor that he didn’t sign because Doc Rivers wouldn’t allow significant others to fly on the team plane to some road games. If that WAS the case, shame on Doc Rivers. Tim Duncan and T-Mac in the Eastern Conference at that time? Man, that could’ve been a dynasty.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: What if Grant Hill had stayed healthy and you added him to the mix?
Tracy McGrady: There’s NO doubt we would’ve played for a championship. I don’t know if we would’ve won one, but looking back on what I was able to do without another star, you add Grant Hill and a young Mike Miller to that mix? We would’ve played for a ‘chip.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Who is today’s Mike Miller in the NBA?
Tracy McGrady: That’s a really good question. I might say Tyler Herro because both move without the ball and shoot. Both have a little handle and slash… but Mike was 6’8” doing that.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: I view Tyler Herro as a hybrid mix of Bobby Sura and Klay Thompson.
Tracy McGrady: Bobby did everything—rebound, playmaker, tough defensively. Klay? Shooting-wise, I see where you’re going with that. I don’t know. That’s your opinion [laughs].
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: You were traded right before Dwight Howard arrived in Orlando. What if you had stayed?
Tracy McGrady: [laughs] My whole career was a what-if. What if I stayed in Toronto? What if Grant Hill was healthy? I was even supposed to get traded for Larry Hughes in 1999 to the Sixers.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: What was the situation with Jerry Krause and the Chicago Bulls?
Tracy McGrady: You don’t know the type of obsession Jerry Krause had with me. It was ridiculous. He used to tell my agent, Arn Tellem, “Krause says he’s coming to get you when you’re a free agent.” He must’ve seen something in me. He tried to make things happen the night before the draft and again in 2000.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: What if that trade went through and you played with Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman?
Tracy McGrady: [shaking head] Nah. You’re talking about trading a Top 50 player [Pippen] for a rookie who’s not ready. It puts too much pressure on an 18-year-old. To be alongside MJ? Not a good look.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: As a competitor, what was in your mind when you were looking at Kobe?
Tracy McGrady: He set the bar. Once MJ was gone, Kobe was “that dude.” I felt I had the potential to reach that level because I had the skillset, and having a relationship with him was very valuable. I remember being in Paris and seeing how he worked out every day—after lying and saying he doesn’t work out in the offseason! [laughs]. To witness that grind, it rubbed off on me.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: What was having dinner or playing video games with Kobe actually like?
Tracy McGrady: Honestly, Kobe watched karate flicks. We watched karate flicks and Michael Jordan’s Come Fly With Me all day. He listened to Wu-Tang Clan and Lauryn Hill’s Miseducation the whole trip. Dinner was with his family; he lived with his parents. But in his room? It was all karate flicks and MJ homegrown movies.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: You played against LeBron James on Christmas Day in his rookie year. How aware were you of him then?
Tracy McGrady: I was definitely aware. He used to wear MY shoes in high school! [laughs]. I was impressed with his body of work and his poise. He was a GROWN MAN at 18. During that game, he was hitting shots and I was looking at him like, “Really? Come on bro. This ain’t you.” But as time progressed, I realized: this kid is for real.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: People often make it an MJ vs. LeBron debate, but some feel Kobe is being left out of that conversation.
Tracy McGrady: I felt they were disrespecting Kobe by not having him in the conversation. Just because he patterned his game after MJ, he can’t be in that conversation? LeBron is a GOAT in his era; MJ was the best in his. My GOAT is MJ because I grew up watching him, but LeBron is in that conversation. There’s nobody like LeBron—6’8”, 260lbs, fast as anybody. He’s Karl Malone with a lot more skills. We all have to appreciate what we’re seeing from this dude.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Final question: who had the best hairline in the NBA when you were playing?
Tracy McGrady: [laughs] Juwan Howard! I used to ask him, “Yo man, how do you get your joint so straight and always look crisp?” It’s ALWAYS crisp. Jalen Rose is like that too, but Juwan Howard was the best—without the Beijing [hair fibers]! [laughs].
Reflecting on T-Mac’s journey, it is clear that while injuries and front-office “what-ifs” may have altered the history books, they never diminished his stature among his peers. The stories of Jerry Krause’s pursuit of a teenage McGrady to join the Michael Jordan-led Bulls serve as a reminder that the league’s culture is built on these behind-the-scenes power moves. Even without a championship ring, McGrady’s influence is woven into the DNA of every tall, fluid wing player currently dominating the NBA.
As he moves forward with his role at NBC, McGrady continues to prove that his vision for the game is as sharp as his scoring touch ever was. By providing a platform for the next generation through the OBL and offering unfiltered analysis on the national stage, he is ensuring that the artistry of basketball isn’t lost in an era of highlights and short attention spans. He isn’t just a retired legend looking back; he is an active architect of the sport’s future.
Ultimately, the conversation with T-Mac reminds us to appreciate the greatness we are witnessing in real-time. Whether it’s LeBron James defying fatherhood in Year 19 or the young stars emulating the T-Mac signature style, the game remains a continuous cycle of homage and innovation. For Tracy McGrady, the journey from a pre-teen watching MJ to a Hall of Famer analyzing the modern greats at NBC is a full-circle moment that continues to inspire fans and players alike.
