If You Want to Be a Great Player, You Need Luck, According to Tracy McGrady: Not in the top ten if Stephen Curry had played for the Hornets

A heated controversy erupted in the basketball world when Tracy McGrady shared her thoughts on how to quantify a player’s brilliance. Luck, according to McGrady, is a major factor in determining a player’s legacy, and success isn’t measured only by numbers. Among the many things he brought up was the notion that brilliance is relative and that different players’ careers are affected by things like the teams they play for.

Stephen Curry Jokingly Makes Fan Do 30 Push-Ups in Exchange for His  Autograph at Golf Tournament

In my opinion, there is no objective way to determine a player’s greatness. This is heavily dependent on chance, dude. Nowadays, success is the yardstick by which media and people evaluate excellence.

“Through my lens or through a lens of Charles Barkley, through the lens of Patrick Ewing and Reggie Miller and Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony, those guys are greatness.”

Deadspin | Stephen Curry returns to Charlotte as Warriors visit Hornets

I didn’t get the chance to play with Shaq during our championship run like Kobe did, even though we didn’t win. Two titles were won by Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and KD as a trio.

Steph Curry is fantastic, but the Charlotte Hornets might be a better fit for him. We all know the Hornets organization has a terrible track record, so let’s pretend he spent his entire career with them. Does the idea that Steph Curry is one of the best players of all time still have any traction? Luck, dude, is all it is. Winning isn’t how I define it, therefore.McGrady stressed that a lot of people look at championships as a measure of greatness, but it’s missing the mark since it ignores the impact and talent of players who didn’t win championships.

Deadspin | When Stephen Curry sits, Draymond Green often gets ejected

Those who are generally considered excellent players but did not win NBA championships are the ones he mentioned: Carmelo Anthony, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Reggie Miller, and Allen Iverson.

The former NBA star made a point on how a player’s legacy is shaped by their circumstances and the dynamics of their team. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant—three members of the Golden State Warriors—were singled out by McGrady for their contributions to the team’s success. The Warriors were known for their excellent organizational structure and magnificent roster.

Stephen Curry wins 2023-24 Magic Johnson Award | Reuters

The greatest shooter in NBA history, Stephen Curry, was portrayed by McGrady as having spent his whole career with a losing team, such as the Charlotte Hornets. He made the case that Curry’s accomplishments would have been less noteworthy if he had not been part of the Warriors’ championship-caliber supporting cast and winning culture.

By bringing up this possibility, McGrady questioned the idea that winning championships is the only way to evaluate a player’s excellence. He insisted that, regardless of team performance, each player’s talent, skill, and influence on the game should be recognized.

McGrady’s extraordinary talents and individual accomplishments unquestionably left an everlasting impression on the NBA. He was a 2-time scoring champion, a 7-time NBA All-Star, and a 7-time All-NBA pick. During his career, he averaged 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game.

The thing that makes McGrady’s career stand out, though, is that he played for teams who weren’t title contenders.

In sharp contrast to many other legendary players, McGrady never enjoyed the benefit of playing on a superteam during his career. On the contrary, he frequently found himself in charge of teams that had a shot at the playoffs but were unable to advance.

It’s crucial to think about McGrady’s stint in Houston from 2004–2010, when he and Yao Ming were teammates despite the fact that injuries hampered their performance.

Unfortunately, injuries kept derailing their plans and limiting their potential as a pair, despite the fact that their relationship had promise. The unpredictability of professional sports and the difficulties players encounter all through their careers are demonstrated by this.

When considering how to measure basketball greatness, Tracy McGrady’s stance provides an interesting angle to consider. Championships are important, but McGrady argues that it’s more important to look at a player’s legacy in the bigger picture of their career.

Reggie Miller Uses His Own Career to Define Greatness in the NBARespоnding tо Tracy McGrady’s cоmments оn the tоpic оf player greatness, Reggie Miller оffered sоme wise wоrds abоut what it means tо be great in the NBA. Miller was cоmpelled tо share his thоughts оn the tоpic after McGrady’s оriginal article started a stimulating discussiоn regarding the subjective aspect оf evaluating basketball greatness.

Since this is so subjective, I will only ever speak on behalf of myself. For me, being great isn’t only about winning a championship; it’s also about competing to win those chips.

“Reаsоn ι sаy tҺιs ιs becаuse my teаms were аlwаys clоse аnԀ cоmpetιng аgаιnst Pаtrιck аnԀ tҺe Knιcks, MιcҺаel аnԀ tҺe Bulls, SҺаq/Kоbe аnԀ tҺe Lаkers, we ҺаԀ every оppоrtunιty but cаme up sҺоrt.”

I wоulԀn’t sаy cҺаmpiоnsҺip if I’Ԁ never been in tҺаt pоsitiоn аnԀ been sо neаr, but tҺe Pаcers were sо clоse, tҺаt’s wҺy. But I аlsо leаrn а lоt аbоut my gаme by figҺting аgаinst оtҺer greаts аnԀ letting my guаrԀ Ԁоwn.

“I don’t know the answer, but this is how I personally see your question!!” You were a tough cover, by the way.