Tracy McGrady reveals why he’d rather play with Shaquille O'Neal over Kobe Bryant — “He could do a backflip”
Tracy McGrady, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant
© Mark J. Rebilas and RVR Photos - USA TODAY Sports
Aside from criticizing current stars, one of those retired players’ favorite things to do is to discuss what they would have done differently in their careers or who they wanted to team up with. Tracy McGrady revealed his answer on the Club Shay Shay podcast when asked who between Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant he would have loved to be teammates with.
7’1”, 330 and can do a backflip
Shannon Sharpe asked a difficult question: Who would he choose between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal as his teammate? McGrady didn’t want to answer at first but decided it was the latter.
“It would have been nice to play with Kobe but Shaq was so dominant bro. I think Shaq could have averaged 35 or 40 points a game like that’s how dominant Shaq could have been if he was like really nasty.”
Tracy McGrady, Club Shay Shay
Sharpe added that people quickly forget how massive O’Neal was and how fast he could run during his heyday. T-Mac revealed another talent that set Shaq apart from the competition.
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T-Mac and Shaq would have been unstoppable
McGrady and Bryant on the same team probably would've won several titles, but their tandem wouldn't have been as dominant as a Shaq & T-Mac duo because they had similar playing styles. Any team that has O’Neal and McGrady easily has an inside-outside attack, and they could complement each other better on defense.
Back in his Orlando days, O’Neal could go coast-to-coast on fastbreaks. Even though he’s massive, Shaq had always been graceful and agile for his size.
When he became heavier and bigger with the L.A. Lakers, he bludgeoned everyone who tried to stop him in the paint. The man was able to score 28,596 points, mostly on dunks and hook shots alone, with poor free-throw shooting and only one 3-point shot made in his career. Imagine how devastating Shaq would have been if he made at least half of his free throws.
Shaq does, often. It's one of the three career regrets he has.
