Penny Hardaway should have been a legend. Instead, he’s basketball’s ultimate “what if” story. A superstar in the making, whose career was cruelly interrupted just as he was ascending to the stratosphere of the greats. Standing 6’7″, possessing exceptional court vision and athleticism, Penny was the it point guard in the mid-90s before injuries derailed what seemed destined to be a Hall of Fame trajectory.
Those magical early Orlando years offered just a glimpse of his extraordinary potential. Fans watched in awe as he formed one of the NBA’s most electrifying duos with Shaquille O’Neal, collecting three All-NBA selections, four All-Star appearances, and an Olympic gold medal along the way.
Penny Hardaway appeared on The Pivot Podcast, where the host said, referencing Shaq, “People want to compare you and Kobe, because he played with both of you guys….compare you to Magic, you could shoot better than Magic, pass just as good, certainly more athletic, but then the injuries happen.”
They went on, touching upon the possibilities had the injuries never happened. Penny replied, “I mean crazy numbers for sure, I don’t know how many championships I would have won… it would have been some conversations differently about me definitely… Uh, the skill, the everything that went along with my game, it definitely would have been a different story.” Pondering upon the endless possibilities that would have presented themselves if Penny had not been injured. Multiple championships? Hall of Fame shouts? Undisputed G.O.A.T? We’ll never know.
Then, Penny spoke of life beyond playing basketball. He said, “It just seemed like God said your purpose isn’t basketball anymore. Your purpose is going back to Memphis and dealing with those kids because I couldn’t see it any other way…if I would have never gotten injured, I probably would have never came back home and did what I did for those young men in the neighborhood,” believing a higher power spoke to him, leading him into a life of coaching after retiring early.
And it is not to say that he did not have a hell of a career! Penny Hardaway’s time in the NBA was a rollercoaster of emotions and experiences. From winning gold in the Olympics to being an integral part of the Magic Team, he had seen it all. Then, a seamless transition into coaching helped build his legacy, another world that he managed to conquer.
The Penny Hardaway story: From hardwood star to sideline success
Before injuries altered his trajectory, Penny Hardaway set fire across NBA courts with a blend of size, vision, and skill that left fans and analysts breathless. One thing was certain: Penny’s game defied convention.
His rise was meteoric. But the brightest candles burn out the quickest. By his sophomore season in 1994-95, Hardaway achieved what only Larry Bird and Tim Duncan had done in the modern era. He earned an All-NBA First Team honors in just his second campaign.
Alongside Shaquille O’Neal, he carried the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals, conquering Michael Jordan’s Bulls along the way. Once, he claimed, “You wanted to compete against Michael Jordan, because they were the best. You wanted to beat them. Never once in my mind, I went, ‘I would love to play with him.’ I was always like, ‘Man, we’ve got to beat them.’
The accolades managed to pile up quickly. Four consecutive All-Star appearances (1995-1998), three All-NBA selections, and an Olympic gold in Atlanta with the 1996 Dream Team. Basketball seemed destined to be ruled by Penny’s elegant game for years to come. However, then came the injuries. Knee problems robbed the sport of Hardaway’s prime years, but the basketball gods weren’t finished with Penny’s story.
“Injuries made people lose confidence in me, but I never lost confidence in myself.” Hardaway once reflected.
That opportunity came at his alma mater, Memphis, where Coach Penny has built a powerhouse program with a 110-52 record over five seasons. His Tigers have claimed NIT and AAC tournament titles while making back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances in 2022 and 2023.
Perhaps more importantly, he’s developed NBA talent and secured top recruiting classes, passing his basketball wisdom to a new generation. Mentoring the likes of James Wiseman, who was the No.1 prospect in the 2019 recruiting class, and was selected as the No.2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors. He also mentored Precious Achiuwa, who was selected by the Miami Heat as the 20th overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft.
From electrifying NBA floors to prowling collegiate sidelines, Penny Hardaway’s basketball journey continues to inspire, proving greatness finds many expressions in the game he loves. Once a potential GOAT, Hardaway finished with a career that glitters on his own. However, his work with the community, and his coaching initiatives, are just as important, and in equal parts make the man that once dominated the NBA.
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