Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady engaged in plenty of battles in the 2000s. The two shooting guards weren’t just the best players in their position; they were basketball titans of their generation.
When Bryant and McGrady faced each other, fans expected scoring outbursts and a very entertaining game. However, the two didn’t always trade baskets with one another. There were times one was scorching hot from the field, while the other was ice cold and couldn’t get a basket.
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One such game was when the Los Angeles Lakers visited the Orlando Magic in March of 2001.
Mamba goes cold
Bryant just couldn’t get a basket, shooting 5-of-17 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line for 16 points. He also committed five fouls and three turnovers. Safe to say it was a frustrating game for the Black Mamba.
While Bryant was struggling, McGrady was having a field day. He finished the game with 29 points on 13-of-24 shooting, to go along with 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. It was a vintage performance from T-Mac against one of the best defenders in history.
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The catch was that McGrady’s performance did not translate into a win. They lost by five, 95-90, and Bryant let him know about it.
“Kobe didn’t do so well,” McGrady said, via the Los Angeles Times. “He told me, ‘It doesn’t matter how many points you score. It’s when you make them that counts.'”
The stats failed to capture the nuance of his performance. Kobe knocked down a couple of key shots in the final three minutes of the game, including a mid-range right in Tracy’s face. Bryant also caught a filthy alley-oop right after spinning off McGrady.
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All about chips
Kobe and Tracy always pushed each other to the extreme, but it seemed that it was the Lakers guard who always had the last laugh. In the 2002-03 season, McGrady tried to outdo his rival in the scoring department. The only way to accomplish this was to go for the gold — win the scoring title.
It didn’t take a minute for the Black Mamba to realize T-Mac’s lofty ambition. Bryant went on a scoring tear himself, much to McGrady’s chagrin. The Magic star also discovered that not only was the Purple and Gold icon a threat to the scoring title, Kobe was also gunning for the ultimate prize — the NBA Championship.
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“That motherf–ker went on what it was nine 40s. I was right behind him, getting 30s, 35, 40. I couldn’t get that nine in a row, but I was like, bro, you compete for a championship. You can’t come have the scoring title, too, he said.
Fortunately, McGrady achieved his goal and won the 2002-03 scoring title by averaging 32.1 points per game — Bryant was not far behind, with 30.0. Kobe was likely not bothered by his rival’s triumph. By then, he understood that individual accolades didn’t matter that much. The most important thing was raising that Larry O’Brien trophy at the end of the season.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 5, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.