With the NBA All-Star Weekend coming up, I decided to write a special post on one of the most electrifying players that ever wore an Orlando Magic uniform - Penny Hardaway.
Not many know this, but Penny was one of my favorite players growing up. When I was a kid, we used to have basketball leagues every summer and whenever the time came to pick our jersey numbers, I’d always get #1.
Penny Hardaway was an explosive guard from his era. Like the Kobe/Wade of the mid-90s. He was so versatile and talented. To be 6’8 and have sick handles like he did was fuckin’ insane. Penny had all the tools to become one of the greatest – range, killer instinct, and high basketball IQ. Not only was he athletic on the offensive end, but he also played defense.
When he was picked by Orlando over Chris Webber, Orlando fans didn’t entirely welcome him at first. But he worked hard and showed them he was the better pick by winning the MVP award in the Schick Rookie Game in ’94. He went on to become a four-time NBA All-Star and a gold-medal Olympian.
He had his own shoe line, the Air Penny, which were some of the THE DOPEST sneaks Nike has ever released. Penny was at the top of his game during the 1994-95 season, when he averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game. Along with Shaq, he led the Magic to the NBA Finals, only to get swept by the Houston Rockets. DAMN YOU, NICK ANDERSON!!
After that, Shaq left, leaving Penny at the helm of the Orlando franchise. But then his knees broke down. I always wondered what could’ve happened if wasn’t plagued by those injuries. What he could’ve accomplished, where he could’ve been now.
He may not have been compared to Michael Jordan, but he was damn sure the Magic Johnson 2.0. Penny was an all-round package. He tried to come back after those injuries, playing for Phoenix, New York and Miami. But his game completely declined and was never the same.
Been keeping this for 15 years now. Haven't been opened.
When talking about basketball in the ’90s, no one ever leaves Penny out of the discussion. Always remembered. Hardaway may have dropped completely out of view, but he was, still is and always will be one of the favorites to ever play in the NBA. No gas, just truth.
And who could forget Lil’ Penny, the wise-crackin’ puppet in those Nike shoe commercials?
Classic. Throwback Wednesdays, douchebags.
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