Tracy McGrady makes major Kobe Bryant statement involving Michael Jordan after fans' uproar over his controversial remarks

Tracy McGrady found himself at the centre of the basketball world’s attention following his controversial statement involving Kobe Bryant. Following heavy backlash from fans, McGrady shared an Instagram story on Sunday to clear the air.

He clarified his earlier comments that may have been misunderstood, saying that Bryant belonged in the same echelon as Michael Jordan.

“Compare Bean to MJ and no one else!!! They’re in a separate class then any other hooper!” McGrady wrote.

Credits: Instagram (@tmac)

McGrady’s Instagram story, placing MJ and Bryant in a tier of their own, comes shortly after he seemingly downplayed the Los Angeles Lakers legend’s legacy. He sparked debate by boldly claiming that he could have won just as many championships had he replaced Kobe.

"Replace Kobe with me with Shaq," McGrady said on ESPN's First Take on June 20 (Timestamp 5:14). "I don't win a championship? You don't think I could carry the Lakers to a championship? I never had the opportunity.

"If I was put in that situation to win, I damn sure would show up and do what I do in the playoffs to elevate my team. I just never had the chance. So I get diminished because I never won a championship. Is that my fault?"

Interestingly, during the same episode of First Take, Gilbert Arenas also made a controversial remark about Bryant. Drawing a comparison to Scottie Pippen, Arenas implied that Bryant played more of a supporting role to Shaquille O’Neal during their three-peat.

Tracy McGrady once picked Kobe Bryant to defeat Michael Jordan in a hypothetical duel

In 2023, while promoting his one-on-one basketball tournament, Tracy McGrady was presented with a hypothetical: in their primes, who would emerge victoriously in a head-to-head matchup, Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant?

"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."

Bryant entered the NBA towards the tail end of Jordan’s career. During this overlap, they faced each other eight times in the regular season.

In those matchups, Jordan held a slight edge in scoring, averaging 24.5 points per game to Bryant’s 22.8 ppg. However, the youngster outperformed in other areas, averaging more rebounds, assists and wins during those contests.