Back In The Day NBA

Tracy McGrady Explains How NBA Great Used To Gain An Edge Against Competition

Shandel Richardson

June 12, 2002; East Rutherford, NJ; The Lakers Kobe Bryant holds up the Championship trophy along with teammate Shaquille O'Neal who holds up his third MVP trophy. Mandatory Credit: Michael J. Terola/Abury Park Press-USA TODAY NETWORK
June 12, 2002; East Rutherford, NJ; The Lakers Kobe Bryant holds up the Championship trophy along with teammate Shaquille O'Neal who holds up his third MVP trophy. Mandatory Credit: Michael J. Terola/Abury Park Press-USA TODAY NETWORK / Asbury Park Ppress-USA TODAY NETWORK
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The stories of Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant's work ethic are legendary.

His game was intimidating the opposition in a variety of ways. According to NBA great Tracy McGrady, Bryant also gained an edge by tricking his peers.

In an interview with ESPN's Rachel Nichols, McGrady told a story of Bryant attempting to stay ahead of the game. They were in the same area during the offseason one summer.

"I said, `I'm about to go workout,"' McGrady said of a conversation with Bryant. "And he was like, `What are you going to work out for? You know it's the offseason. Like you don't need to workout.' And I'm looking at him like ..."

Even though McGrady took Bryant's advice, he still decided to go to the gym. What he saw surprised him.

"So I go back to my room, take it easy, chill for a minute," McGrady said. "I go to the weight room. Who's in there? This dude [Bryant]. I had to start taking notes. This guy is gonna have an edge on somebody."

JAY-Z REFERENCE CREATES AWKWARD MOMENT ON TNT

The Inside The NBA show on TNT had another epic moment Tuesday night.

During the broadcast, Kenny Smith made a reference to the rapper Jay-Z. Smith was immediately interrupted by Charles Barkley, who said, "probably not a good time right now."

The conversation caused Shaquille O'Neal to walk off the set to hide the laughter. Here's a clip of the awkward moment.

Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, was recently accused of raping a 13-year-old. The rapper has since denied the accusations.

He released a statement that read: "Whoever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree?" the statement reads, in part. "These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case."

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com