Joe and Jada - Tracy McGrady talks Knicks, ICONIC Rockets-Spurs comeback, toughest NBA matchup & ‘Cousins’ podcast with Vince Carter

It’s the Joe and Jada show, every time legendary, and today we’ve got one of the most gifted scorers ever—two-time scoring champ, Hall of Famer, and a real one—make some noise for Tracy McGrady.

Walk us through your Houston miracle—how did you drop thirteen in thirty-five seconds, and what was going through your head?

I was cold for three quarters, then hit a three, came right back, got Tim to bite on a pump, buried another three plus the foul, and from there everything felt wide open and automatic.

Does the rim actually feel bigger when you’re in that kind of zone, like it’s impossible to miss?

It does; muscle memory takes over so hard that a hand in your face can’t change what your body already knows, and once you catch that feeling, it’s lights out.

I’ve prayed for one of those nights in a celeb game and never got it, so I get obsessed with that zone talk; it’s like music, because some folks swear they’re there but they’re just stuck in a bad groove.

I still think about one blown at-bat in a chip—popped out and it haunts me—so is that the same fear that makes hoopers pass up shots when the mind locks?

Exactly; once that doubt creeps in, it’s mental, and it can be harder to shake than a physical miss.

Ben Simmons caught a lot of heat—was it in his head or his body?

His back was real and the pressure stacked on top of it; when you’re picked first, folks want instant greatness, and if your body isn’t right that weight can crush your confidence.

What do you think of Thibs with the Knicks right now?

He fits New York—accountability, toughness, culture—and he’s built to set that tone every night.

Coach, if you’re hearing me, rock the right sneakers on the sideline; superstition or not, the kicks change the energy and we blew a team out when he swapped to Air Maxes.

Let me get you on our OBL sideline because your energy is crazy; I launched a one-on-one league with eight city teams and gave ownership to people who look like us—Kiss has New York, Lorenz Tate has Chicago, Tim Hardaway Sr. has Miami, John Wall’s in, Vince has Orlando—and we’re building it right.

How’s the format work—just straight ones?

Games go to nine, four players per city rotate matchups across teams, and wins stack for your city; May fifteenth in Orlando, we’re flying everybody in.

Let’s talk codes and snitching because folks throw that around; what’s your line on a civilian versus someone claiming that life?

If you weren’t raised in that world, you’re not bound by it, but if you build your image on being that guy and then fold, that’s a whole different story.

Where I’m from, families kept the blinds shut and didn’t point fingers, and with cameras everywhere now, the smartest move is staying legit.

Why do the legends keep rapping into their forties and fifties—can you still make a hot record today?

Yes, if the song’s undeniable, it cuts through; what’s changed is radio gatekeeping and budgets, because pushing a single across syndication can run into serious money and stations chase youth even when vets have hits.

Hip hop’s only about fifty years old, so the industry’s still figuring out what “too old” even means.

Cuz and I finally launched the Cousins podcast to talk life, hoop, and family without clickbait; monetization’s sponsors, but the promise is authenticity, and I’m also stepping into NBC’s broadcast team with a new crew that actually uplifts the game.

Stephen A. once told me I’d never make it on-air because I tell long stories, but give me a week and I’d tighten the clips right up.

TV needs quick, clean takes, not play-by-play novels, and once you get that rhythm it’s fun.

What’s your proudest verse and your biggest onstage moment?

Writing with Big L at D&D made me sharpen every bar, and my biggest rush was Summer Jam when Lean Back was only two days old and the whole stadium leaned with us twice.

I remember Kanye peeking from the side like he knew a tidal wave was coming.

My version of that high was spotting fans in my signature shoes for the first time and realizing the idea left my head and landed on people’s feet.

When we dropped the Terror Squad Air Force 1s and I saw lines around the block, I stared at every face like, they really chose us, and that felt different from any chart number.

The night Pun passed, Steph went windmill on a break and pointed to the sky for him, and I’ll never forget it because moments like that live forever.

That’s the whole game—make moments people carry with them.

I’m tuning into the Cousins pod, and whenever you want real talk and real hoops, our door’s open.

Play this in the locker room and let it ring; we hold it down and keep going, because after all the misses and the noise, we still get up and make it count.