For many fans, the player known as Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway is nothing more than an afterthought, a memory of some player that most of today's fans probably don't even remember. Boy, how quickly they forget. Before injuries ruined his career and made him fade away into relative obscurity, Penny Hardaway was once one of the most talented players in the league. He was a 6'7" point guard who could do almost everything on the court. His style of play reminded people of Magic Johnson who ironically happens to be his favorite player.
His popularity back the day was pretty similar to the levels that guys like Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and Chris Paul are enjoying. In short, he was simply that good of a player. He was selected with the number three overall pick by the Orlando Magic back in the 1993 NBA Draft. The Magic already had a young and promising center in Shaquille O'Neal and together with Hardaway, they would go on to form one of the most dynamic duos in the league.
Hardaway made an immediate impact during his rookie season helping transform the Magic from bottom dwellers into a perennial playoff team. His style of play and his consistency made him adored by fans, especially kids who all looked up to him. As a matter of fact, several NBA players have cited Penny as someone they looked up to growing up. Guys like Tracy McGrady, Shaun Livingston, Lebron James, and Gilbert Arenas have all mentioned how much they admired Penny's game growing up.
In addition to being an elite talent in the NBA, Hardaway was also one of the league's most marketable players. His "Lil Penny" commercials would give way to the popular Lebron and Kobe puppet commercials that Nike would use several years later and his sneakers sold like hot cakes. He was also selected as a member of the 1996 US Men's Basketball team aka Dream Team II. He won a gold medal with the team, an accomplishment that he considers to be one of the greatest of his career.
He was on top of the world or so it would seem until a series of injuries would rob him of his explosiveness and ultimately, his career. After all the injuries had set in, Hardaway would never be able to regain the form that once made him an NBA superstar. It is a shame that most people will never remember just how good of a player Penny was, but for those of us who do remember, we will always look back at the awesome memories he provided us with back in the day.
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