JR Smith Rips Tracy McGrady's Comments on Hall of Fame vs. Winning NBA Title

Cleveland Cavaliers swingman JR Smith took issue with comments class of 2017 Hall of Fame inductee Tracy McGrady gave at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame over the weekend.

McGrady was discussing the difference between winning an NBA title and earning enshrinement in the Hall of Fame.

"Social media can give a lot of people voices these days, and the first thing they say is 'No rings, no rings,'" McGrady said Friday, per MassLive.com's Tom Westerholm. "You have to have a great team and some luck to get a ring, right? Unfortunately, I wasn't blessed with that. But I go back at them with this: Anybody can win a championship. Everybody can't get in the Hall of Fame."

Especially in basketball, where one player can have a bigger impact on the game than in baseball, football or hockey, championships are often a defining aspect of a player's legacy. At the same time, it's not the sole criteria upon which fans can judge a player's overall contribution.

For McGrady, winning election to the Hall of Fame was the ultimate sign of validation after he made seven All-Star and All-NBA teams in 15 years in the league but failed to win a championship.

At the other end of the spectrum, Smith is evidence that winning a title alone can't outweigh the entirety of a player's career. While a source of vindication for the 31-year-old, playing a role in the Cavs' 2016 NBA Finals comeback doesn't erase the fact Smith has arguably failed to fulfill his full potential in the NBA.

Because of that, Smith is unlikely to join McGrady in the Hall of Fame, and judging by his comments, he probably doesn't care.