Before the new NBA season commences and the quest for a new scoring champion gets underway, fans hope that the competition will continue to showcase its pool of elite scorers as it has for generations.
There have been 19 different scoring champions in the last four decades, with one of those elite bucket-getters being Tracy McGrady. The iconic guard is listed among the best by many. But this time, the former Orlando Magic superstar was asked to pick his top five players from the league's history of elite scoring machines.
"Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, T-Mac," McGrady told GQ Sports.
Scoring greats
The scoring title has seen fiercer competition in the past decade; nine of the last ten scoring champions have won with an average of 30.0 points per game or more. However, T-Mac is omitting recent scoring leaders for established scorers of the past.
Michael Jordan, of course; no scoring list will be complete without his inclusion. The Chicago Bulls legend holds a record 10 scoring titles, including a period when he won seven in a row.
Kobe Bryant, another prolific scorer, won two scoring titles. The Los Angeles Lakers legend could've won more as he came considerably close on numerous occasions, including narrowly missing out on the 2003 scoring title by just a two-point average to McGrady. He also fell by 3.1 points to Allen Iverson in 2005. Bryant's 81-point game is still the second-highest scoring performance behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100.
Kevin Durant is one of the modern-day scoring machines with four scoring titles; only Jordan (10) and Chamberlain (7) have more than the Phoenix Suns superstar.
Carmelo Anthony, with one scoring title under his belt, rounds off McGrady's list. The former New York Knicks player was one of the most consistent scorers in the NBA, putting up a career average of 22.5 points per game.
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T-Mac was an elite scorer
A two-time scoring champion, McGrady was known for his explosive offensive game, averaging 32.1 ppg at the peak of his powers. T-Mac took home the scoring title over top scorers like Bryant, Iverson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Paul Pierce. And he proved it wasn't a fluke by repeating as the scoring champion the following season.
Over his career, Tracy showed that he could score from anywhere and anytime. On December 9, 2004, McGrady and the Houston Rockets were trailing the San Antonio Spurs, 80-68, with just 33 seconds left. With the game on the line, the two-time scoring champion turned the final moments into a scoring spree, pouring in 13 points in those last 33 seconds and nailing four three-pointers. He also tacked on a free throw to complete a four-point play before a crucial steal sealed the Rockets one-point victory.
Related: "He is the better shooter and got better handles" - Tracy McGrady on who he'd pick in a James Harden vs. Dwyane Wade 1-on-1 matchup
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