Before winning three straight NBA titles with Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, Shaquille O’Neal went to the NBA Finals with Penny Hardaway and the Orlando Magic in 1995. O’Neal and Hardaway led the franchise to their maiden Finals appearance in their second season together and were touted to take Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen‘s mantle as the best duo in the NBA.
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However, a contract dispute led to O’Neal’s exit from the franchise in 1996, and a knee injury in 1997 robbed Hardaway of his explosiveness, seriously damaging his career. Many have pondered the guard’s career trajectory had he not suffered that devastating knee injury. On the latest episode of Podcast P, O’Neal and Hardaway’s Magic teammate Brian Shaw claimed he would be on par with Michael Jordan and LeBron James. He said,
“Penny Hardaway would have been in the discussion for being the GOAT. He was that talented. He was 6’8″. He could post up, he could shoot threes, he could handle the ball, he’s one of the best passers the league has ever seen. He had a super high basketball IQ and he had that same competitiveness that you’ve seen in Kobe, that you see in Shaq. He was just more quiet with it. And anybody who played against him would tell you the same thing.”
Shaw pointed to O’Neal and Hardaway teaming up to take down Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals as proof of his claim. They were the last team to beat the six-time NBA champion in a playoff series. O’Neal seemingly agrees with his former teammate’s assessment. He shared the clip on his Instagram story.
After O’Neal left for the Lakers in 1996, Hardaway put together an All-Star campaign and led the Magic to the playoffs. The following year, he suffered a left knee injury early in the season and needed surgery, which limited him to only 19 games. Since then, he’s had four more surgeries on his left knee. Hardaway’s impact on the court and availability diminished with each passing season after 1998 before retiring in 2008.
Before the injuries, his talent was undeniable. Many may scoff at Shaw’s opinion of what Penny Hardaway’s career could have been. However, the fact of the matter is, he was just that good from the very get-go. With all the time in the world to grow, and even a somewhat healthier career, there is no telling how high he could have reached.
Shaquille O’Neal loves Penny Hardaway
Shaquille O’Neal was fond of Penny Hardaway even before the duo were teammates. During his jersey retirement ceremony last week in Orlando, the four-time NBA champion revealed he pushed then-general manager John Gabriel to draft the guard with the first overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft and was miffed when he didn’t. He said,
“I told Alex [Martins] and John [Gabriel], there’s this guy called Penny Hardaway. We have to get him. They said, ‘Ah, we can’t make any promises.’ So, when they didn’t draft him and they draft Chris Webber, I tore my damn house up.”
However, the Magic traded Webber to the Warriors for Hardaway and draft capital and adhered to O’Neal’s wishes. The three-time Finals MVP proceeded to thank his former teammate, saying,
“I want to say thank you, brother. I know I always celebrated a lot, but I’ve never been selfish. A lot of my success comes from you, because you took care of me. You made me look good. So, I never got to tell you this, but I always wanted to tell you, thank you.”
Hardway was O’Neal’s teammate for only three seasons, but he still holds him in high regard and has fond memories of their time together in Orlando.
