Kyrie Irving responds to Tracy McGrady in debate over greatest handles in NBA history

Kyrie Irving has been one of the most dynamic players in the NBA over the past decade. He’s shined on every team he’s played for and remains one of the top stars on the Dallas Mavericks. As he continues to recover from a serious knee injury, the guard took time to respond to recent comments made by Tracy McGrady.

McGrady had chosen another player over Irving in the conversation about the best handles in NBA history. “Still love watching Kyrie,” T-Mac said during an appearance on The Old Man and the Three podcast. But when asked if the Mavericks guard had the best handle he’s ever seen, the Orlando Magic legend was candid: “I don’t think nobody had better handles than Jamaal Tinsley, even Kyrie.”

The remark sparked debate among fans about who truly deserves the title of best ball handler in NBA history, with many defending Irving’s case. And now, the 33-year-old guard has spoken on the matter.

“When I see an OG like T-Mac come out and say, ‘I don’t think anybody had better handles than Jamaal Tinsley, even Kyrie,’ it doesn’t bother me,” the Mavericks star said during a livestream. “Because I’m a mix of all the great players that came before me.”

Jamaal Tinsley playing for the Utah Jazz in 2012

Rather than dismissing the comparison, Irving embraced it, acknowledging that many of the players from earlier generations inspired his own style when he was learning the game. “You gotta understand, I wouldn’t be who I am without watching all the guys that came before me… When it comes to every portion of my game, I feel like I try my best to pay homage to all the greats that came before me,” he said.

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Still, Kyrie made it clear that when it comes to ball handling, he sees himself on a level of his own. “I just took it to a whole different place,” he explained. “So, when he’s talking like this, I know he’s talking about one of the guys that he’s seen that has better handles, but I just don’t think that he has the same movement. Jamaal Tinsley was not moving like me. I don’t think anybody moves like me.”

The 2016 NBA champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers went on to explain how he developed his unique skills with the ball in hand. “I think we have similarities, others have similarities and they’ve advanced different things,” he said, referring to past greats. “But me, creating a foundation on like just really teaching this generation how to still be having the street ball game… I play like I grew up outside, which I did. I grew up playing on a playground, I just happened to make it to the league and the pros.”