NBA: 5 players that we didn’t get enough of

Anfernee ‘Penny’ Hardaway

At face value, Anfernee Hardaway’s career looks like it lasted a decent amount of time. Fourteen seasons to be exact. The problem is, Hardaway played a total of 704 games in that time span, just an average of 50 games a season.

Another issue when looking at Hardaway’s career is the fact that he’s mostly remembered for the dynamic duo combination he provided with Shaquille O’Neal in Orlando. Their tenure for the newly established franchise only lasted three years.

Two of those three seasons the Memphis product played all 82 games and in the other he played 77. After averaging 21.7 points, 7.1 assists and 2 steals a game, plus an NBA Finals appearance in the 1994 season, the future looked bright for Hardaway and the Magic.

However, following a sweep in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1996 at the hands of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, O’Neal ran for the hills after a contract dispute with the Magic, joining the Lakers organization.

Hardaway’s career was never truly the same.

Only averaging more than 20 points and five assists per game one more season in his career (the following season after O’Neal left), Hardaway clearly lost a step after an initial knee injury in the 1996-97 season.

With several more knee, ankle and back issues, Hardaway only played 60 or more games three times in the 13 seasons following Shaq’s departure.