"You ought to be ashamed" - Kobe Bryant's former No. 1 pick teammate slams Tracy McGrady for claiming that he beat the 'Black Mamba'

JAY-Z
Tracy McGrady is facing some serious backlash

Over the past couple of months, former NBA players have stepped up to talk about how they were better than Kobe Bryant or how they could've and would've had better careers.

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From Dwyane Wade to Tracy McGrady, it's reached a point where NBA fans from all teams have rallied together to question these statements. The timing is also odd, since they didn't seem to have that same energy when Bryant was alive.

With that in mind, former No. 1 pick Kwame Brown put McGrady on blast for his latest comments on the LA Lakers legend. He claimed that McGrady "ought to be ashamed," as he never found success in the playoffs and still is trying to look down on a five-time NBA champion:

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"Kobe Bryant is an interview saying he whooped you 11-3 in 1 on 1 games, Kobe said he made you quit. The guy you guys claim is so close to Kobe Bryant 1 on 1 allegedly lost 11-3, Tmac ain't never get out the 1st round of the playoffs but wants to talk like he was so close. Stats is starting to drive these people crazy they're forgetting dog," Brown said.
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McGrady, one of the greatest offensive forces in NBA history, essentially said that he would've won as many titles as Kobe if he had Shaquille O'Neal by his side.

Perhaps that's true, but he had plenty of chances to win and some great teams, and he could never get past the first round. Kobe, on the other hand, went on to the NBA Finals three times and won two more rings without Shaq.

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Kobe Bryant had nothing but respect for Tracy McGrady

Ironically, Bryant had nothing but praise for his fellow scorer. In an interview before his passing, he admitted that McGrady was the toughest player he ever had to guard:

"There’s a lot of guys, but the guy that always gave me the most problems, actually, was Tracy McGrady," Bryant admitted, "He had all the skills and all the athleticism, but he was 6’10”, and he was really tough to figure out."
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McGrady never shared those types of comments when Bryant was alive, but it's not like their careers ended that long ago. There's no need for revisionism when the tape is there.

He was clearly a very talented player, but it takes much more than talent to find success in this league, and Bryant was clearly on an entirely different level.

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Edited by Ernesto Cova
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