Jamaal Tinsley last played in the NBA during the 2013–14 season, but his prime came in the 2000s. Without an All-Star nod to his name, though, his solid career has largely flown under the radar for many modern fans. That changed when Tracy McGrady sparked a debate by comparing the former Pacers point guard’s ball-handling skills to those of Kyrie Irving.
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Given that Kyrie Irving is often viewed as the most skilled ball-handler of the modern era — if not in NBA history — T-Mac’s comment came as a surprise to many. Tinsley never reached Irving’s level of stardom, spending most of his career as a solid but unspectacular starter. Still, his handles were exceptional, and McGrady witnessed that talent firsthand, unlike his detractors.
The former superstar scorer recently elaborated on his bold claim during an appearance on the Club 520 Podcast. When DJ Wells expressed gratitude for McGrady highlighting an overlooked talent, T-Mac appreciated the acknowledgment, explaining that shining a light on Tinsley’s underappreciated game was precisely his intention.
“I’m glad you said that, because that was the sole reason for me saying that,” McGrady responded. “Trust me, I know basketball. And I know Kyrie is the best when it comes to handles. There’s two of my best, and I’m on record of saying this. It’s Kyrie, and it’s Skip to My Lou, my old teammate. Them the two best, like for me.”
But the 42-year-old also likes to show love to players who didn’t get the flowers they deserved. “When I get an opportunity to highlight somebody that’s in my generation of basketball, my era, I’m gonna take the time to do that,” T-Mac continued, claiming he expected the backlash following his comparison.
“I expect that reaction and it’s the reaction that I wanted,” the seven-time All-Star explained. “Because I’m highlighting somebody. When you look at Jamaal Tinsley and comparing him to Kyrie, yeah, they going to laugh at that. But you go over and see what that motherf***er did when he was a rookie, it ain’t too many cats that had 23 assists when they was a rookie.”
“So, although you might laugh that he’s not compared to Kyrie, he’s still somebody you can learn to and appreciate his game,” T-Mac closed.
“So, using Kyrie was my main goal. You got to use somebody like that. And then the trigger words is, ‘Yeah, he better, he got better handles’, right? It’s the Internet game, bro,” he added.
Irving’s response to McGrady’s statement
While Irving initially stated that he wasn’t bothered by what was being said, the Mavericks star quickly followed up with a pointed remark. He firmly stated that Tinsley didn’t possess the same level of agility or ball-handling skills that he does.
“When I see these things happen, when I see an OG like T-Mac come out and say that, it doesn’t bother me. I’m a mix of all the great players that came before me,” Irving explained. “I just don’t think he has the same movement. Jamaal Tinsley was not moving like me. I don’t think anybody moves like me.”
The crafty playmaker kept his truth bomb blunt but still got his point across. Irving has never shied away from heaping praise on the legends who came before him. But in this case, the 33-year-old knows he simply has the superior skill set.
