Basketball

6’6″ Kobe Bryant once tried to stop 6’9″ Tracy McGrady from working out, while getting to the weight room himself!

Raahib Singh
|Published August 06, 2022

"I may get the country wrong, but I won't forget the score was 11-3!": Kobe Bryant jawed with $70 million star in interview with Rachel Nichols

Lakers legend Kobe Bryant once tried to convince Tracy McGrady not to workout while getting into the weight room himself!

In the early 2000s, the NBA had two guys lighting the league on fire, thanks to their offensive prowess. Kobe Byrant and Tracy McGrady were drafted in 1996 and 1997, respectively, and were known for their own play styles. While Kobe was known to mimic Michael Jordan to a T, TMac was an elite scorer who could either score from a distance or take his 6’9 frame and drive to the ring.

While Kobe had a more successful career, TMac also made a name for himself and would go down as one of the game’s greats. Despite both being highly competitive, it was the Mamba who held the edge. We heard an incident regarding the same when the two sat down for an interview with Rachel Nichols for ‘The Jump.’

Also Read: “I cooked Tracy McGrady, roasted him, wasn’t even close”: When Kobe Bryant claimed to have gone 3-0 against the Magic legend during an Adidas promo tour

Kobe Bryant told Tracy McGrady to take it easy, while squeezing in a workout himself

The Black Mamba, as we know, was one of the biggest competitors the game of basketball has ever known. In the interview with Tracy McGrady and Rachel Nichols, TMac shared a story of how Kobe’s spirit.

“I told him, I said I’m about to go work out. And he was like, ‘what do you gotta go work out for? You know, offseason, you don’t gotta work out’. And I’m looking at him like, and I was like, ‘Uhm, okay’. So I go to my room, chill for a minute. I go to the weight room, who’s in there? This dude (Kobe).”

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Just Kobe things, man, just Kobe things.

The two also discussed many other things, including their highly disputed one-on-one games on the same interview.

Also Read: Tracy McGrady made $600 million worth Kobe Bryant fall and the entire Orlando Magic paid a hefty price for the same

Even though the Mamba is no longer with us, these stories remind us of his nature and spirit. He’ll live through his memories and his Mamba Mentality forever!

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About the author

Raahib Singh

Raahib Singh is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. A Computer Science Engineer by qualification, Raahib's passion for sports drew him toward TSR. He started playing basketball when he was 14, and fell in love with the sport ever since. His interest in the NBA developed at the same time as when Stephen Curry put the entire league on notice. Raahib was spellbound by Steph and the Warriors and has been a fan since. From starting off as a Warriors fan, Raahib has evolved into someone who can never miss a good game of basketball. He converts his love for the game and the knowledge he has gained into the articles he writes. In his spare time, he enjoys cricket, going for walks, and murder mysteries.