It seems Jeff Teague has an infinite number of stories from his NBA career tucked in his back pocket. He has had encounters with a laundry list of NBA legends including LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Klay Thompson, to name a few. His most recent anecdote involves an altercation with Tracy McGrady.
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Teague and McGrady shared the court for one season when the Hall-of-Fame guard joined the Atlanta Hawks for the 2011-12 season. McGrady had suffered a plethora of injuries that had put a brief halt to his career. He joined the Hawks hoping to get back on his feet.
McGrady didn’t expect Teague to cause him so much trouble. Teague was 23 years old and still finding his way as a player. No matter McGrady’s legacy, Teague didn’t hesitate to be himself, and that meant talking plenty of trash.
“He just played entirely too much,” McGrady said on the Club 520 Podcast. “I’m trying to get back in the league, and he’s playing around too much.”
One day during practice, McGrady reached his limit and took matters into his own hands. Teague vividly remembers how everything transpired. “I used to mess with T-Mac every day. One day we was eating, and I was sitting back. He walked up and [punched me],” Teague revealed.
McGrady couldn’t help but laugh at the memory. Instead of apologizing for his actions, he doubled down on why he lashed out in the first place.
“I just wanted to beat his a**,” McGrady revealed. The two shared a hearty laugh. Teague and McGrady have no hard feelings toward each other regarding the incident. In fact, they have an extremely high level of respect for one another.
McGrady revealed that all he was doing was “initiating a young fella.” It seemed to have worked, considering Teague improved every year afterward. He eventually made the 2015 All-Star team while leading the Hawks to a 60-22 season.
After his sole season in Atlanta, McGrady played one year with the San Antonio Spurs. He only suited up in a handful of playoff games during their 2013 NBA Finals run. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to capture that NBA championship he longed for.
McGrady and Teague’s tale provides fans insight into locker room dynamics. Undoubtedly, Teague will have more to share as his career in the podcasting world continues to flourish.
