Orlando Magic: Penny’s Magic Moment
Orlando Magic legend Anfernee Hardaway’s rise to stardom with an innovative skill set for a tall guard set the groundwork for future mega stars to succeed in today’s NBA.
The common thread during a conversation regarding former Orlando Magic great Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway includes the constant injuries and abrupt ending to his once promising career. A 6’7 point guard had been extremely rare back in 1993; something not seen since the days of Earvin “Magic” Johnson standing at 6’9 with the Los Angeles Lakers. Since his retirement, players such as the Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James and Philadelphia 76ers rookie Ben Simmons have carried on the “Point Forward” role.
The athleticism with the skill set turned Hardaway into an instant young star in the early 1990’s, using his height to tower over traditionally smaller guards. A matchup nightmare for opponents — as Hardaway could play three positions — often using his quickness and speed when faced with a bigger opponent forced to play out of position.
The usually soft-spoken, seemingly shy basketball star was put front and center after signing a lucrative sneaker deal with Nike. His deal brought along an array of commercials with his hilarious alter ego named “Lil Penny” (voiced by comedian Chris Rock) made him a pop culture attraction drawing celebrities and more national media to Magic games.
The four-time NBA All-Star along with Shaquille O’Neal led a young Magic team all the way to the 1995 NBA Finals, losing in a sweep to the mighty Houston Rockets led by future Basketball Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. After O’Neal’s departure during the 1996 offseason, Hardaway was thrust into the spotlight alone and hit with various knee injuries, eventually leading to his trade to the Phoenix Suns. During his six seasons in a Magic uniform, Hardaway not only put up All-Star numbers, he helped to bring a basketball culture to the Orlando, Florida area.
| Season | Age | Tm | G | GS | MP | FG% | 3P% | FT% | TRB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-94 | 22 | ORL | 82 | 82 | 36.8 | .466 | .267 | .742 | 5.4 | 6.6 | 16.0 |
| 1994-95 | 23 | ORL | 77 | 77 | 37.7 | .512 | .349 | .769 | 4.4 | 7.2 | 20.9 |
| 1995-96 | 24 | ORL | 82 | 82 | 36.8 | .513 | .314 | .767 | 4.3 | 7.1 | 21.7 |
| 1996-97 | 25 | ORL | 59 | 59 | 37.6 | .447 | .318 | .820 | 4.5 | 5.6 | 20.5 |
| 1997-98 | 26 | ORL | 19 | 15 | 32.9 | .377 | .300 | .763 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 16.4 |
| 1998-99 | 27 | ORL | 50 | 50 | 38.9 | .420 | .286 | .706 | 5.7 | 5.3 | 15.8 |
| 6 seasons | ORL | 369 | 365 | 37.2 | .472 | .311 | .766 | 4.7 | 6.3 | 19.0 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/23/2017.
O’Neal was inducted into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame back in March of 2015, and shared his thoughts on leaving Hardaway and the franchise during the press conference. The four-time NBA champion would go on to say:
"“That’s why I kind of regret it, because we had a young, fabulous team, We really did, and it’s a shame that we got torn apart. But I think about that all the time. I try not to live my life now on ‘ifs’ or ‘would’ve, should’ve,’ but do I regret leaving here in ’96? Yes I do.”"
It’s only fitting that the Orlando Magic also give Hardaway this Hall of Fame honor for not only his influence on the court of the organization, but for the many stars of today who have watched and learned from his unique journey. Whether it’s the style in which he played as a “big guard” or the amazing marketing team to produce the commercials making him a star outside of basketball.
It’s always going to be a debate as to whether or not Hardaway’s career would have blown up to the level of Kobe Bryant‘s if O’Neal had stayed and he remained healthy. It is safe to say that his influence in such a short time period paved the way for changes in which we view the point guard position and the power of creative marketing to draw national attention. It was indeed a talk worthy career and a well deserved moment of the tough luck 90’s basketball star.