D'Angelo Russell Calls Tracy McGrady the Greatest of All Time on Social Media

Tracy McGrady's name isn't typically grouped in the NBA's "greatest of all time" debate alongside names such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell and LeBron James, but one NBA rookie thinks it should be. 

Thursday evening, Los Angeles Lakers point guard and 2015 No. 2 overall pick D'Angelo Russell chimed in with his take on the divisive subject: 

"

Honestly Tracy McGrady might have been the GOAT!

— D'Angelo Russell (@Dloading) August 13, 2015"

Bleacher Report created an image on Instagram in honor of Russell's tweet: 

On Friday, Kobe Bryant responded to Russell's claims:

Russell then explained himself to his new teammate:

"

@kobebryant lol my bad he was nice though

— D'Angelo Russell (@Dloading) August 15, 2015"

But ultimately, Bryant seemed unfazed by his new teammate's thoughts:

The young Laker seemed relieved:

"

@kobebryant 

— D'Angelo Russell (@Dloading) August 15, 2015"

Back and knee injuries ultimately derailed McGrady's career, but there's no denying he was one of the most lethal scorers of his generation.

"He's a Hall of Fame player, a great, great player," McGrady's former head coach Jeff Van Gundy told Bleacher Report's Les Carpenter in 2014. "Unfortunately injuries robbed him of that greatness prematurely."

T-Mac led the Association in scoring during the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons, averaging 32.1 and 28.0 points, respectively, during those campaigns. 

McGrady's 13-point outburst in the span of 33 seconds during a 2004 comeback win over the San Antonio Spurs remains one of the most clutch and remarkable late-game performances the league has ever seen. 

During a seven-year stretch that spanned the 2000-01 to 2006-07 seasons, McGrady made seven consecutive All-Star teams—including four with the Orlando Magic and three with the Houston Rockets. 

Over the course of 15 seasons with the Toronto Raptors, the Magic, the Rockets, the New York Knicks, the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks, McGrady averaged 19.6 points on 43.5 percent shooting from the field and 33.8 percent shooting from three. 

According to Basketball-Reference.com, McGrady's Hall of Fame probability sits at .955, which ranks 66th all-time. For context, the players bookending McGrady are Jerry Lucas and Bob Lanier, and both have been enshrined in Springfield, Massachusetts.    

While Russell has serious admiration for McGrady's game, he's also spoken highly of Bryant. 

"He was my Michael Jordan," Russell said in an appearance with SiriusXM NBA Radio's NBA Today on Aug. 10 (h/t theScore.com's Chris Walder).   

Russell added: "I didn't grow up watching Jordan. I didn't grow up watching Magic Johnson, Byron Scott, Larry Bird—I didn't get to watch those dudes. When I was growing up, it was Kobe, Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady—those dudes. So to get the opportunity to play with him for his last years is the highlight of my life."

With Bryant as a mentor and some archival footage of McGrady to turn to for inspiration, Russell should eventually emerge as a centerpiece for the purple and gold. 

Given his ability to slash, drive-and-kick, handle the ball in the pick-and-roll and whip passes to open shooters on the perimeter, the former Ohio State Buckeye has all the tools necessary to help the Lakers rebound a year removed from losing a franchise-worst 61 games.