NBA
Tracy McGrady said nobody in the modern NBA compares to his prime
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated1 hour ago on September 11, 2025
Around the mid-2010s, the three-pointer began to gain increasing popularity in basketball. Players adapted quickly, and it’s hard to make the NBA roster without some shooting consistency.
When Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady began his NBA career, the three-point shot was an afterthought. The seven-time all-star was elite in the mid-range. Recently, McGrady was on Gilbert Arenas’ podcast. They discussed whether any modern NBA players compare to Tracy McGrady in his prime. He doesn’t believe anyone compares to his best seasons in the NBA.
Tracy McGrady believes he is a one-of-one type of player
T-Mac says he doesn’t think there’s anyone in today’s NBA who’s close to the prime version of himself.
“If Tatum took midranges, I would say Tatum.”
(🎥 @GilsArenaShow )
pic.twitter.com/TMLRvY3irt— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 10, 2025
In the 1997 NBA draft, the Toronto Raptors used the 9th overall pick to select Tracy McGrady. He skipped college and was drafted directly out of high school. McGrady played 15 seasons in the NBA for six different franchises. His longest tenure was six seasons with the Rockets. Tracy McGrady played in 303 games for Houston and made 293 starts. However, his most productive seasons came in the early 2000s with the Orlando Magic.
After his first three seasons with Toronto, McGrady signed with Orlando as a free agent ahead of the 2000-01 season. During his 2002-03 campaign, Tracy McGrady led the NBA with 32.1 points per game. The following season, his 28.0 points once again led the league. McGrady’s time with Orlando was the most productive of all his stops in the NBA.
Tracy McGrady dropped a career-high 62 PTS on the Wizards! (2004) pic.twitter.com/rWJX0Q26Om
— ThrowbackHoops (@ThrowbackHoops) July 3, 2023
Recently, Tracy McGrady appeared on Gilbert Arenas’ podcast, where they discussed a range of topics. Arenas asked McGrady if any player or players in the modern NBA compare to his prime. Off the rip, McGrady’s answer was no. He thought about it for a few more seconds and said Kevin Durant plays similarly in the mid-range. However, KD is at the tail end of his career. McGrady didn’t feel like Durant was the right answer.
The podcast debated a few more players until McGrady finally mentioned Boston’s Jayson Tatum. McGrady said Tatum would likely be his answer if the one-time champion shot more in the mid-range. Players in the modern NBA fall into the trap of taking more three-pointers than any other shot. Jayson Tatum is one of those players. His 10.1 three’s per game in 2024-25 was the highest of his career. That’s why Tracy McGrady doesn’t feel any player in the modern NBA compares to his prime.
