Mcgrady says if it was T-Mac and Shaq instead of Kobe it wouldn’t of ended the way it did

Tracy McGrady was one of the most elite scorers in the NBA during his relatively short-lived prime. He averaged 26.1 points per game over an eight-year span with the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets, but injuries sent his career downhill in a hurry. Despite that, T-Mac recently hinted that he believes he was as good as Kobe Bryant during his best years. “Numbers don’t lie. I was in the conversation of being one of the best in the league,” McGrady told FOX Sports Radio’s Jay Mohr Sports on Wednesday. “Whether I was better than Kobe, or he was better than me … I was in the conversation and it didn’t matter at the time. I was playing at a high level and was very confident when I was on the court.” Larry Brown Sports

If T-Mac feels that his game was comparable to Kobe’s, that must mean he believed he could have won multiple championships with Shaquille O’Neal as well. “We would have had a great run,” he said when asked about Shaq. “I don’t know how many but, I know it would have never ended like it did with he and Kobe. I have a great relationship with Shaq. We would have never clashed heads like that. Two Alpha dogs going at there will always be (something going on).” Larry Brown Sports

Kobe Rejuvenated to come back Stronger

Kobe Bryant said that his injury may have inspired him to want to stay in the league for longer than he had initially anticipated. “I’ve always kind of said that it’s nearing the end, and this is the last chapter, and it is,” Bryant told The Times on Wednesday at his summer camp at UC Santa Barbara. “How many pages in that last chapter, I don’t know. But it’s definitely the last chapter. I’ve been rejuvenated somewhat by the injury and inspired by watching what San Antonio was able to accomplish this year, so I’m ready to go for at least another three.” Los Angeles Times

Kobe Bryant might still be months away from being able to run and jump following Achilles surgery in April, but there is an ardent supporter in Bryant’s corner who swears that he’ll come all the way back and then some. Dwight Howard chose to go far, far away from Bryant, but Shaquille O’Neal has come back around to offer his full support to his former teammate. “Kobe’s a tough competitor,” O’Neal said on a conference call Wednesday to promote his involvement in Adam Sandler’s new movie, “Grown Ups 2,” which opens in theaters Friday. “He loves when everyone doubts him. Of course at (almost) 35, they’re saying he’s done, but Kobe will show the world that he can play at a high level until he’s 40. I know with the rehab, he’s probably only supposed to do it once a day. I know for a fact he’s doing it twice, if not three times a day. He tells everybody he’s coming back in December, but if he could, he would like to be ready at the start of the season. That’s how much he’s going to push this thing to try to get to 100 percent.” ESPN.com

One of Bryant’s former teammates, Shaquille O’Neal, doesn’t think the injury or the loss of Howard will slow down the Lakers’ star. “Kobe’s a tough competitor,” O’Neal said during a conference call Wednesday to promote his new movie, “Grown Ups 2.” “He loves when everyone doubts him. Of course at [almost] 35, they’re saying he’s done, but Kobe will show the world that he can play at a high level until he’s 40.” ESPN.com

Kobe Bryant told ESPNLosAngeles.com on Wednesday that he fully intends to retire as a Laker someday and doesn’t believe there will be any problem securing an extension for as long as he can play at an elite level. There have yet to be any discussions between Bryant’s camp and the Lakers about an extension, he said, so neither side has any idea yet what type of salary he will command. Bryant is currently the highest-paid player in the league at $30.5 million this season. “As a businessman the goal is always to not take a pay cut,” Bryant said. “But …” ESPN.com

The Lakers had intended to approach Bryant about an extension this summer, league sources said, but those plans were tabled until Bryant got further into his rehabilitation from Achilles tendon surgery in April. Bryant said he didn’t intend to approach the Lakers about an extension until “the dust settled” on their other business this summer. ESPN.com

Shaq to mentor Demarcus Cousins

New Kings owners, Vivek Ranadive and Mark Mastrov, met with legendary center, Shaquille O’Neal, Tuesday night for dinner to ask if he would work with Kings third-year center, DeMarcus Cousins. Shaq didn’t just say yes, but promises to make him “the best big man in the game.” I think this is a great move by the Kings, I always thought he was a great player and can be one of the best big men in the game with some guidance. With Shaq on board that shouldn’t be a problem anymore, Beware NBA big men!

Don K