LeBron James is regarded as one of the NBA’s greatest passers ever. James has altered the perception of playmakers among NBA experts and fans, just like Magic Johnson did before him. He views himself as a pass-first player, as he has done for the entirety of his playing career. His assist totals, which presently have him in fourth place all-time, reflect this.

LeBron James’s former teammate disregarded him off his list of the finest passers in spite of this. Former Miami Heat forward Shane Battier discussed some of the best facilitators he’s ever played with in a conversation with Draymond Green.

While it was widely anticipated that Battier would list LeBron James as one of the best passers he has ever played with, he awarded the title to a different player. In this case, Tracy McGrady. McGrady gained the respect of the sharpshooter throughout their time playing together in Houston.

In an interview with Draymond Green for “The Draymond Green Show,” Battier lavished McGrady with praise:

Tell you about T Mac, please. He is the greatest passer to ever play with. I mean, nobody really gives him credit for dying. He was explosive and a fantastic scorer.”But dude, he was always on time and on target. I used to yell at LeBron and D Wade, saying, ‘Dude, like you want assists, hit me in the chest,’ and they would always be throwing it at my legs, or my T Mac would never miss the ball.”

Tracy McGrady is the best passer Shane Battier has ever played with, surpassing even LeBron James

Tracy McGrady doesn’t rank in the top 25 all-time assist leaders, and his assist totals are nowhere near as high as those of LeBron James. Still, Battier has already stated that he has never played with a better passer than the Hall of Famer.

Speaking on a 2022 “Forgotten Seasons” podcast episode, Battier complimented McGrady on his ability to get the ball to guys at the appropriate position. In that particular moment, he made it apparent that T-Mac was probably the best passer he had ever played with, without mentioning LeBron James by name.

“T-Mac’s passing ability really struck me as the greatest I’ve ever played with when I first went to Houston. In high school, he was an excellent pitcher and witnessed everything. Everything about him was underappreciated; despite being a fantastic scorer, he was a real pain to play basketball with. He was also an eager passer.

LeBron James hasn’t spoken, but his cumulative assist totals throughout the years speak for themselves. Before he departs, the future Hall of Famer might climb the all-time assist leaderboard with less than 1,000 assists separating him from third-place Chris Paul.