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Tracy McGrady Names Better Ball-Handler Than Kyrie Irving Without Hesitation
Tracy McGrady Names Better Ball-Handler Than Kyrie Irving Without Hesitation originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Kyrie Irving's 2024-25 season ended a lot sooner than he'd have hoped, as he tore his ACL in March during a game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Sacramento Kings. Irving had averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks per game for the Mavericks before being sidelined with the injury.
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Irving's absence was a huge blow to the Mavericks. It was part of an injury crisis after the Luka Doncic trade that led to them finishing 10th in the Western Conference with a 39-43 record.
Just a year after getting to the NBA Finals, the Mavericks would fail to even make it to the playoffs, losing to the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in tournament.
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) is recovering from a torn Miron-Imagn Images
Irving is targeting a return in January 2026, and the hope is that it won't take him too long to get back to his best. The nine-time All-Star has been a joy to watch on the court over the years thanks to his incredible ball-handling.
On the latest episode of the "Young Man and the Three" podcast, former NBA star Tracy McGrady called Irving one of his favorite players to watch.
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That led to co-host Tommy Alter asking McGrady if he had ever seen someone with a handle like Irving's. McGrady claimed he had actually seen someone with a better handle.
"Yeah, Jamaal Tinsley," McGrady said on The Young Man and the Three. "You remember, Jamaal Tinsley? Man, I don't think nobody had better handles than Jamaal Tinsley, even Kyrie. I think Jamaal Tinsley handles was probably the best I've seen."
Jamaal Tinsley is a name you don't see get brought up all that often these days. The Vancouver Grizzlies had selected Tinsley with the 27th pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, but traded him to the Atlanta Hawks, who then sent him to the Indiana Pacers.
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Tinsley spent 11 seasons in the NBA during which he averaged 8.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.3 blocks per game. His career wasn't as great as Irving's, as he never even made an All-Star team, but McGrady reckons his handles were better.
Related: Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis' Role in Keeping Jason Kidd With Mavericks Revealed Amid Knicks Interest
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
