One of the most recognizable sets of basketball players to enter the league was the 2003 NBA draft class. Former star Tracy McGrady was able to share the court and battle against the top talents of the famed draft class during his time. As a wing scorer, McGrady had countless matchups against LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, witnessing their growth and emergence around the association.
During their rookie years, James and Anthony were the top players of the class. Their fellow stars, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, also showed brilliance on the court. However, the attention was on the two forwards. James was a top favorite since he was the No. 1 pick and came straight to the NBA after high school.
Anthony, on the other hand, had a promising year at Syracuse University. He was named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player and led the team to the NCAA championship in just one year. There was a lot of attention on both players.
Nonetheless, James emerged victorious as the NBA’s top rookie, winning the Rookie of the Year title. T-Mac, who appeared in an episode of Anthony’s podcast, “7PM in Brooklyn,” said that the trophy should’ve been awarded to the Syracuse legend.
“You knew Melo and Bron and those dudes is gon’ be tough,” T-Mac said. “And honestly, no shade to anybody, I thought he should’ve won Rookie of the Year.
“You should’ve won that s**t,” he told Melo. “‘Cause you took your team to the playoffs… That is tremendous accomplishment for a rookie to come in. Have that spotlight on him like that and to get slighted on Rookie of the Year, I ain’t like that at all.”
Tracy McGrady reveals his relationship with Kobe Bryant
During his time in the NBA, Tracy McGrady battled against Kobe Bryant numerous times. The two had some of the most exciting games against each other, not afraid of going at it on the floor. Off the court, however, the two stars had a brother-like relationship.
In his guest appearance at Melo’s show, T-Mac revealed how close they were.
“That ain’t just no friendship, it was a brotherhood,” McGrady said. “I call his mom my auntie. I call his mom and his dad my auntie and my uncle… that’s family to me.”
"That ain't just no friendship. It was a brotherhood. I call his mom my auntie."
T-Mac sheds light on his REAL relationship with Kobe Bryant 💯 pic.twitter.com/GQDqjGQ9gh
— 7PM in Brooklyn (@7PMinBrooklyn) July 18, 2025
Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant leaned on each other on more than just basketball. The former Orlando Magic star said that they shared a bond that went deep, often leaning on each other when it came to talking about their personal lives.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
