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Originally posted by <b>Minstrel</b>!
McGrady and Bryant are clones of each other, on the court. Both have some warts off the court, which leads to a lot of people disliking each player.. Do we need to be reminded that many people felt Jordan had warts, as a selfish and arrogant player, prior to age 27? Then he teamed with Pippen to win six titles in eight years and it became blasphemous to consider Jordan as anything but the greatest leader the game has ever known. 
The moral of the story is that a lot can change in terms of perception over a career and both McGrady and Bryant are still young. McGrady is finally getting a start with a team that has potential to be a future championship contender, and he didn't handle losing well personally, and Bryant is getting a start, for the first time, as something other than the callow youth who fought the game's most dominant player for control.
On the court, they both have a similar style and a complete offensive game. They are both great slashers and finishers, tremendous post-up players, possess strong mid-range games and are streaky-dangerous from outside. They both pass and rebound well for their positions. They both play very good defense when they're not carrying the entire offensive burden.
They both have Jordan's patented turn-around fall-away, which is ridiculously hard to hit and impossible to defend. Neither hits it with the regularity Jordan did, but they are the only two in the league today who hit it with any consistency.
Both have hit clutch shots. Bryant has hit them on a bigger stage because he's had the team to allow him to reach that bigger stage. McGrady has stepped up in nationally hyped games and stuck big shots, he's hit big shots in the playoffs and his overall playoff numbers are fantastic. So, there's no evidence that either player is affected by pressure.
They are both unlikely to be appreciated as much during their careers as after their careers are done and they take on the rosy glow of being historical all-time greats rather than current news-makers for their latest quote or miscue.
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Kobe and T-Mac aren't clones on the court. T-Mac's perimeter game is a lot different than Kobe's because of his superior height and length. T-Mac shoots more threes and twenty footers by pulling up and shooting over people. He is still the only player in the league that I've seen dribble down the court and shoot over whoever is guarding him, even if the guy is a seven footer. Kobe rarely, if ever, does this. A lot of Kobe's longer shots are turnarounds and in general they seem more difficult than T-Mac's shots. Kobe is a stronger finisher in the lane while T-Mac prefers lay-ins and passes to his big men down low.
The biggest difference between Kobe and T-Mac is the way they play in the clutch. It is clear that pressure DOES affect both of them, and not necessarily in a positive or negative way.
Kobe's shots attempted go way up in the clutch. Kobe shoots more than he normally would in the clutch, it is as simple as that. He also shoots a poorer percentage. Sure, Kobe makes a lot of game-winning shots, but he misses more and he's had many more chances than T-Mac. In other words, Kobe shows more of a willingness to shoot the clutch shot but it may or may not be the best thing for his team.
T-Mac's game changes as well. He shoots less and passes more. He actually becomes more agressive in the fourth quarter as far as taking the ball to the hoop. Instead of finishing the drive T-Mac would usually dish it to one of his bumbling teammates. As a Magic fan I used to wish T-Mac would shoot more but at the same time it's hard to blame him for the ineptitude of his teammates. T-mac's level of play, contrary to popular belief, doesn't decline in the clutch. But he does play differently. I have a feeling that with better teammates on the Rockets T-Mac will all of a sudden become a much more "clutch" player. But it won't be a change in T-Mac, it'll be his better teammates.