LeBron James has had many great teammates throughout his career. While many remember the superstars he played with, such as Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Kyrie Irving, and Anthony Davis, the four-time NBA MVP also played with a lot of terrific role players who were instrumental in each of his four NBA championships. One of them is Shane Battier.
Battier played three seasons with James on the Miami Heat. Despite being on the tail end of his career at the time, the veteran was a key figure in their back-to-back championship wins in 2011 and 2012.
Widely known for his defensive prowess and his steady three-point shooting, Battier was an ideal fit as a 3-and-D forward for the Heat. As someone whose sole offensive role was to park himself in the corner and wait for kickout passes, the former Duke star benefited from playing alongside one of the best playmakers the league has ever seen in LeBron James.
However, according to Battier, James wasn’t even the best passer he played with.
LeBron James Isn’t the Best Passer Shane Battier Played With
LeBron James may be the most physically imposing athlete the NBA has ever seen, and his unique gifts have helped him become a handful as an offensive force. But perhaps the best part about his all-around game is his passing and ability to create for his teammates.
Battier was certainly one of the many teammates who made a living off a lot of open threes thanks to the attention that the four-time NBA champion commanded on a nightly basis. But despite that, there was another icon who made life much easier for him on the offensive end: Tracy McGrady.
Battier has gone on a few interviews and podcasts, including The Draymond Green Show, and has been claiming that McGrady was the best passer he ever played with.
I’ll tell you what about T-Mac. He’s the best passer I ever played with. People don’t give him credit for his passing. He was an amazing scorer and he was explosive and all that… But man, he always put it on time and on target… You have to give him his flowers. He’s one of the best passers of our generation.
Battier even shared how LeBron James and Dwyane Wade often used to throw their passes low, instead of at his chest, where he preferred it. McGrady, on the one hand, was always right on the money.
Battier may have had the greatest shooting year of his career in 2012-13 with Miami, when he shot 43.0 percent from beyond the arc. But despite that one strong campaign, the 3-and-D forward’s best overall stint as a shooter was during his time playing alongside McGrady with the Houston Rockets, where he shot 38.8 percent.
Tracy McGrady Was An Underrated Passer
Those who watched basketball in the 2000s would know that Tracy McGrady is one of the most complete offensive talents of his generation. T-Mac was essentially that decade’s version of Kevin Durant with the way he can score from essentially anywhere on the court.
At 6-foot-8, with a tight handle and a silky-smooth, high-elevation jumper, the seven-time All-Star often had defenders at his mercy. McGrady was the ultimate three-level scorer. He could explode to the rim and finish at the basket. He possessed a deadly mid-range game. And he could also stroke it from the outside.
But as Battier said, as elite as he was as a scorer, McGrady was also an exceptional playmaker.
The former NBA veteran wasn’t the only one who praised the two-time scoring champion’s passing chops. His former Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy also gave him that endorsement.
His shot making wasn’t even his best thing… LeBron James, Rick Barry, and [McGrady] — they all do something in common. They’re all going to score at this high level, like big-time scorer. Not even close to their best trait. It was their passing ability. He is one of the elite passers to have ever played.
NBA fans didn’t really get to appreciate that side of T-Mac’s game during his time with the Orlando Magic because of the team’s subpar supporting cast. But when he got into a better situation in Houston with a real co-star in Yao Ming and better offensive talent around him, McGrady really began to flourish as a playmaker.
Unfortunately, McGrady’s NBA career was derailed right when he was about to enter his supposed prime years due to injuries. He lost a lot of his athleticism right before he turned 30. But despite not fully realizing his potential, T-Mac was still one of the most beloved and underrated stars of his era.
