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Yesterday, Tracy McGrady was inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of the Naismith class of 2017. For whatever reason — mainly because we don’t deserve nice things — this led to angry banter online, with McGrady stans and McGrady anti-stans rising against one another, beating against the stupid shores of internet reason like endless birds flying into endless glass doors. He hadn’t won enough games. He hadn’t won when it counted. He got traded too many times. Yada yada yadadadadada.
Kevin Durant, who knows a thing or two about basketball, chimed in with his take on if McGrady belonged.
.@KDTrey5 with nothing but respect for #17HoopClass member @Real_T_Mac. pic.twitter.com/hsLNv522G7
— NBA TV (@NBATV) September 8, 2017
FOH indeed, Kevin. Let em know how you feel.
For what it’s worth, this has been a conversation since it was first announced back in April that McGrady had been inducted. In an interview back then, he took a moment to reflect on how his selection was the ultimate stamp of approval from the NBA world and from the voters.
“It doesn’t get any better than this,” McGrady said. “You’re talking about going into a class of greatness. Legendary. This is forever. It doesn’t matter how many playoff games you lost. What you didn’t accomplish. None of that matters. It’s what I did do. What I did accomplish over my career. To be honored with this prestigious award is phenomenal.”
So, why do people love to hate? Why can’t you just be like, “Oh, dope. Tracy McGrady was super dope and I’m happy for him that he gets to be enshrined alongside his heroes for all time. The only reason this would upset me is if I had no life and if I was waaaaaaay too into Kobe Bryant. Or, if I hate joy. And hate buckets. There is literally no other reason I would get pissed about Tracy McGrady being selected into the Hall of Fame. Also, I think my cat hates me. It sits on my chest at night and stares deeply into my eyes. It is plotting my revenge. The milk has turned in the fridge. Susie left me for someone who actually enjoys watching basketball for the fun of it instead of getting angry about things that have absolutely no impact on my own sad life. Send help, I am buried under a sea of old, dirty magazines from the early 2000’s and Kobe Bryant isn’t walking through that door anytime soon.”
Sorry, that took a turn.
But anyways, Kevin Durant is a gift. He keeps it so real. He does not give AF about your trolling takes on McGrady’s deserved place in the Hall of Fame. He does not have time for your foolishness. But, he does have time to respond to your foolishness, so the world can see.
I give you, this thread, which omg:
elaborate
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) September 8, 2017
Real quick: Starting off this argument with the whole “u woulda nvr left okc” is duuuuuuumb. So, at least we know what we are dealing with here. Okay, moving on.
u like assist and rebounds right? U make a pass so that u can score right? U rebound an attempted shot right?
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) September 8, 2017
I don't get what u tryna say.
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) September 8, 2017
it's always been about winning. U get more buckets than the other team and u win
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) September 8, 2017
oh yea I know that
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) September 8, 2017
he got traded for franchise. Know your history
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) September 8, 2017
he played with mutumbo when he was the oldest player in the league and grant hill got hurt a few times, so did Yao!
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) September 8, 2017
u don't know basketball so you don't get it
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) September 8, 2017
He could have just dropped the mic there and walked away with poor @waldorfsfinest’s soul in hand, but he kept going in. Reminder: KD is savage.
I'm on here arguing about TMac. What has the world come to, guess he's not the "two way player" u want.
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) September 8, 2017
t mac could do it all. Don't get it twisted. He was booked in for 30-6-5 every night. Nobody could stop him bro lol
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) September 8, 2017
if u do the eye test, u would know that mac was different.
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) September 8, 2017
And there it is: The eye test.
Tracy McGrady was, at his peak, a complete f’ing force of nature. He could get all the buckets. They were his. Those buckets were belong to him. Durant knows basketball, and loves basketball. As I wrote, he praised Kyrie Irving’s game for similar reasons. Kyrie passed his eye test. Obviously, McGrady passed the eye test.
Instead of getting #MadOnline, let’s take a moment to appreciate how f’ing dope Tracy McGrady was.
Here, two more videos:
Congrats dog. You deserve everything.