Two seasons removed from playing his final year in the NBA, Jeff Teague has capitalized on an early retirement by hosting the enjoyable Club 520 Podcast. During a recent episode of the show, Teague, 35, recalled an early season of his career in which he clashed with Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady, 44.
Teague and McGrady crossed paths for just one season, when Tracy signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Hawks at the start of the 2011-12 campaign. At the time, the then-23-year-old Teague was entering his third season in the NBA, while McGrady was set to begin his 15th and final season in the league.
According to Teague, the pair clashed due to McGrady's initial lack of respect for his young teammate.
"He cold, but he don't like me, I don't like him either," Teague said of T-Mac. "I was in my third year, I was starting point guard, he came to our team. And he was really pissed that I was starting."
Teague then detailed his first encounter with McGrady, who showed up to practice with a sense of entitlement.
"You know, I'm a fan, so I'm like, 'Damn. That's T-Mac in the Maybach with some big ass Gucci clothes on," Teague shared.
Later in the practice, Teague felt disrespected by how McGrady scoffed at finding out Jeff was the Hawks' starting point guard. As a result, Teague claims he spent the rest of the year "talking shit" to his elder by reminding T-Mac that he wasn't on the same level as generational peers such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
Naturally, T-Mac shrugged off the young upstart's trash talk. "N***a, who the fuck are you?" Teague recalled McGrady saying.
At one point, Teague “wanted to fight that n***a so bad.” Fortunately teammate Marvin Williams advised Jeff that Tracy would “beat the shit outta you, relax.”
Teague remembered with a laugh, “I said, 'I’mma have n***as jump that n***a. Wait till we get to Indiana.'"
McGrady disapproved in the Instagram comments section, writing under the clip, “N***as say anything on these podcast smfh.”
“lol yea ok,” Teague clapped back.
Check out the full episode of Club 520 Podcast above. Below, we've collected a few other entertaining highlights, including some recollections of Kevin Durant’s own trash-talk skills, Kevin Porter dropping 50 much to Jrue Holiday's chagrin, and the time Teague hated on his team for losing a series he wasn’t playing in.
