How Good Was Penny Hardaway REALLY?
Vložit
- čas přidán 24. 01. 2020
- An evaluation of the career and talent of one of the greatest "What Ifs" of NBA history.
-------------------------
Make sure to subscribe for more NBA History!
Follow Me on Instagram!
Instagram: / jonnyarnett
______
The game of Basketball has been my passion since I was 5 years old. I grew up as a kid watching my dad's recorded VHS tapes of playoff games through the 70s and 80s, and collected all the Basketball cards. Something about the game and what it represents just hooked me from a very young age.
My love for the game only continues to grow as time goes on. I love studying and analyzing the game, with an unbiased perspective. Feel free to subscribe, follow me on social media, and celebrate this amazing game and it's rich history with me!
I post videos every week on NBA history, predictions, hypothetical scenarios and current NBA topics.
______
Intro Music: Turn On - RW Smith • Turn On - RW Smith (No...
-----
#NBA #PennyHardaway #OrlandoMagic - Sport
How would a young Penny do in today’s game?
Penny for me is a top 10 player, I loved when he was healthy.
Jonny Arnett -NBA CZcamsr He would be one of the best.
@@poet279 100% agree
Excellently well!
His talent is exactly built for today's game...but I always questioned Penny's mental toughness. He had all the talent in the world but was a little mercurial, wasn't a real leader and didn't really impose his will in games. He mostly played on talent alone. Anyone who disagrees, please look at the actual games of the '95 Finals and '96 Eastern Conf Finals...both sweeps.
Still my favorite player ever. A unique 6'7 PG with eyes in the back off his head, who'd dunk on you, hit you from inside and outside, great D. Did it ALL. A HOF talent.
Better scorer than Magic
Penny was the whole reason I started watching the NBA. He was my favorite player as a kid. I mean, every kid from my generation loved Jordan and I did too, but Penny was the top of my list. I don't think kids nowadays realize how big The Magic were back then. Penny with his commercials and sneakers and SHAQ was absolutely EVERYWHERE. SHAQ became like a pop culture icon before he was 30.
Thru that every kid dreaming to become Jordan then Penny came along and all kid wants to be Penny. Jordan wasnt miss by the NBA because of him
Penny was my favorite player too. He was a joy to watch.
I love his shoes. The penny 1s were sweet looking
Same here. I lived in Memphis through the 90s, which is his hometown. Back then, you better not get caught wearing Bulls or Pacers gear in school, lol
I remember the cereal box,Shoes, Penny was big time
Penny and Grant Hill probably are the two biggest what if stories of the last 25 or so years.
Danny Manning and Grandmama Larry Johnson and Reggie Lewis and Len Bias oh my bad Ralph Sampson
Greg Oden
@@8hype Dont really agree with Manning because he went on to have a decent career and even made a few all start teams but the other 3 are on the money. Although Len Bias was more than 25 years ago.
Hank Gathers
Bill Walton was crazy too 7 ft point foward
Great video Jonny. Penny was ahead of his time when it came to his overall skills and efficiency. This guy made 1st team all NBA in just his 2nd season and then did it in his best overall season in 95-96. The finals of 95 that you mentioned where he shot 50% and averaged 25, he was the 1st 50% 40% 90% in an NBA finals series history before Durant accomplished it in the 2017 NBA finals. The era he played in too makes it even more remarkable. If he never got hurt with the riddle of injuries he had, he would have more all-star selections, more accolades and goes down as one of the greatest overall players in NBA history
Seriously. Him and Shaq made the Orlando team “Magic”. It would likely have been a 3- peat in Orlando as opposed to LA’s 3-peat. That’s how good Penny was before injuries.
@@Samurai31631 u mean if Shaq stayed in ORLANDO??Cuz I would agree with u there,Penny was something else man and wasnt even at his peak yrs yet,hell he wasnt even in his mid 20's when he was playing like that and I cant think of another player that WHAT IF would mean so much??
For a three-year period, Penny was the best player in the NBA.
Penny Hardaway is one of the best to ever touch a Basketball
I saw him play for 3 years at Memphis State. We all knew he was going to be something special. His duels with Cincinnati Bearcat Nick van Excel were legendary.
Penny had such a unique bounce in his game. His highlight reels are some of the best I’ve ever seen.
Yeah, he just looks effortless and light on his feet, great geometry to those moves.
I remember seeing him in the first round of the playoffs, in the post-Shaq era, obviously needing to be a one-man army, and he was in that series. He was everywhere, on both ends of the court.
Penny was a killer. He had a unique hesitation he could put on a defender to get open. Great head and shoulder movement along with footwork + top tier athleticism. That Magic team is a great “what if” in itself.
The biggest problem with Orlando during the Penny/Shaq era was that they didn't have a quality coach. Brian Hill shouldn't have been qualified to be coaching a team like Orlando. Orlando probably had the most talented roster, but they got swept every-time they lost in the playoffs to Indiana, Houston, and Chicago. A team with Penny and Shaq should be competitive even when they lose, but getting swept? That is clearly a coaching problem.
He was special
To this day, still my favorite player of all time. He was so fun to watch, had a great all around game and didn’t even hit his prime yet. I vividly remember watching so many games live that he played in like the one where he dunked on Ewing, and the game against the Bulls where he had the fast break and dunked it with about a second left along with that Finals run in 95. He certainly had a Hall of Fame career ahead of him up until those injuries. I still have dozens of basketball cards of him including multiple rookie cards.
Anybody else miss the NBA of the 1990’s - mid 2000’s? That was the best basketball I ever saw.
2:34 bruh are we gonna ignore the fact that that move is smooth af
Real step back
Dude the turned the opposite way on the pivot and stepped back...Yikes
That penny signature move. I never seen another player do that move as smooth as he did it.
Yooo I was sitting here thinking the same thing. Waiting for the full spin off but he did a half pivot inside instead of out. Deadly!
@@MackP414 Isaiah briscoe had a pretty nice imitation of it when he was in high school
Could not agree more. This guy had the most complete skill set of anyone in the league at that time; there was literally nothing he couldn’t do. My favorite player of the 90’s by far.
Thankfully Penny has embraced life and carried on, his love for mentoring kids in education and ball is maybe his best talent.
If not for the injuries we might be talking about Penny as the 2nd best PG ever behind Magic.
I totally agree with this video. At one time Penny was one of my favorite players.
Penny was the first Black Mamba.
F A C T Z
@Sheik Nwanguma I had stated that I saw some Hardaway in Pippen and Mcgrady. They all were long and athletic. Around the 6'7 6'8 height.They all could handle the ball like point guards. And all three could score, rebound, pass and defend..... Scottie of course was the better defender of the three. And Mcgrady was the better scorer of the three. I just feel that Hardaway's talent level was somewhere In between the Pippen and Mcgrady.
mike dollars Nah he has a point. Kobe didn’t flourish real until his third season. Penny made an immediate impact from his first game. Kobe replicated Jordan, Penny has his own identity abs he has a killer instinct and played well with a team. You telling me Kobe averaged those numbers in his first three seasons? Say yes there is some basis to what he said. Remember Kobe became the Black Mamba years into the league..
Sheik Nwanguma I’m not reaching at all. The stats at the time prove so. Just because he was the so called second best on his team Penny did way more his rookie season and next 2 seasons. Had he not got hurt who knows how penny’s career could have turned out. The question wasn’t about who had the better career at the end. Stick to the script. Penny out the gate was a beast considering they played two different positions as well. Penny’s overall impact and his impact on his team was way more impressive than Kobe at that point of their careers...
True
Penny was a phenomenal player. I loved that Magic team!!! Glad to see he is doing well despite a disappointing NBA career.
He was the most skilled player I had ever laid my eyes on ....and that's why he's my favorite player of all time .. because I knew what he would become... just was unfortunate he got injured....I would still put him in the hall of fame for what he did for the game
He is my favorite player and I appreciate the video
Penny was the reason I started watching basketball
Been waiting for this bro🔥
He was one of my favourite players of that era.
Penny was unique! A healthy Penny would have been a top-5 all timer and the best all around stylish player of all time.
this player make me love his team and buy an Orlando suit and the penny nike shoes. From my remember he was really beautifull to Watch him move and play.
Moz, His shoes are still a $100 today, lol.
He would have been in the (MJ, Kobe, LeBron) GOAT conversation without the injuries, Grant Hill as well.
I was just telling a young kid about Penny & how good he was!!! One of my favorite PGs no matter how the injuries stumped his career!!
Dubbed as the next Jordan and Jordan willingly passing the torch to him. If only he didn't listen those Nike people persuading him to come back early and play in the 98 all star game because of shoe advertisement and marketing, he might have recovered much better from his surgery cause after the ASG 98 he never returned to the floor again. He was on the MJ and Kobe level as in skill and talent!!! When Shaq was hurt in the early 96 season missing 22 games, Penny took over, Magic won 17 of them under his lead. He was carrying the team and leading the NBA in scoring. Don't forget, in the 97 Playoffs vs the Heat, he averaged 31points per game with back to back 40+ point games against a very high ranked defensive team.
Also Shaq skipping town at the middle of the night was a bitch move, I think that really hurt Penny because he had to put up monster points and minutes.
My all time favorite player. The greatness that his knee injury kept him from is tragic. I think he was just warming up and if not for the injuries he'd be as well remembered and regarded as he truly deserved by light years.
Penny is probably the greatest forgotten NBA player of all time. So many people I talk to about him don't even know who he is. If shaq never let, the magic would've won multiple chips. That team was stacked. First of all, one of the best duos Shaq and Penny, Key battle tested veteran in Horace Grant with championship experience, Two lethal shooters in Dennis Scott and Nick Anderson. Solid bench players also with Brian Shaw and Bowie. He's my favorite player to use on 2k. So lethal. I'm in my 20s so I never knew him until the Shaq and Penny Orlando documentary came out then I started dominating on 2k with him. Second favorite player of all time behind LeBron.
Ah, the Mid-90's Magic team. Probably one of the biggest what if teams out there. Should have been contending for the championship straight till the mid-2000's.
It seemed like they could but once Shaq left, it was over for them.
Penny Hardaway was 👍 in he's Prime, Good ball handlerer, Great passer, Rebounding was 👌 and Perfect Scorer!!!
Mj and Penny are my favorite players of all time
my favorite player all time .. thats how good he was
My childhood idol and All Time Favorite Player💯🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Started watching the NBA in the 90's and was fortunate to witness the best 3 years of Penny's Magic career. Definitely agree that had he been healthy, he would easily be one of the greatest scoring guard in that era. Glad that his coaching career was off to a flying start!
I've said it before, and i'll say it again. If you never saw him play in person, you missed it. Penny was special, a mixture of Magic and Jordan. Man what could have been.
With his God given talent man he can definiely play on both eras he can do it all
Man I miss Penny! I was so obsessed with Penny when I was younger. I was 12 years old and getting my braces off. Dentist was making me a retainer to wear every night to keep my teeth straight. Asked me if I wanted anything written on it. I said yeah. "Penny". Still my favorite player of all time. Good times lol
My favorite player of all time. Hands down.
My all-time favorite player! 💯
Mark Price and Penny Hardaway, my two favorite players from the 1990s. Both careers cut short due to injury, both would be absolute gods in today's NBA.
My favorite player of all time
Call me crazy but if penny was healthy his whole career
He would be top 3
Facts hes my goat him and Kobe favorite players of all time
No doubt. Went toe to toe with Jordan many times and held his own.
You not crazy
Not crazy at all.
Penny my#1 hands down
If I can point out your channel has reinvigorated me, it really has got into the emotion and nostalgia about the players of the NBA I watched in the late 80s and 90s while I was at college back in New Zealand ... your breakdowns, clear tone footage and content rocks!
Keep up the work brother...
Makes me go back to those good times shooting hoops at lunch time and dreaming of playing like Jordan or Penny.
Thanks
Thats beautiful, man! I'm stoked to hear that! Thanks so much for supporting the channel, bro. Means more than you know
Penny was a beast , i remember the hype for him
The mid 90s were lit. Shaq and Penny were like an embodiment of that era. Like watching an episode of Fresh Prince or Martin.
interesting fact Shaq told the Magic front office to draft Penny after playing with him in a pickup game.
Also Shaq said he shouldve never left that team because they couldve been one of the greatest.
Penny hardaway was an amazing all around basketballer.
By far an icon in 90s.simply something I've never seen on my life. I'm from Marseille France and when nba TV game have come everyone were amazed. I left soccer to play basket ball like penny!!!i was eleven in 97.
Ive no idol and don't respect that adverising but penny with a ball still make me crazy. I was watching the 95 NBA finals yesterday because of this fuckin virus
I think about this often. He never had a chance to reach his prime, and when I say prime I define that as his physical game *and* mental game at its peak. I feel Penny would be in top 5 conversations if he never got injured. He really was the prototypical athletic guard with insane court vision.
Penny and Kobe my 2 favorites of all time
In my mid teens I watched Penny and the Magic play every chance I could. He was a force and always entertaining to watch. He will always be my favorite player of all time
Penny was soooooo awesome!!
Probably the worst case of tragedy due to injury, as far as never being close to his pre-injury form, ever! Along with Grant Hill.
Jeez maybe Jordan jinxed them when he called them the next torch bearers!
Probably worse that Grant cuz at least with him we somewhat got to see him in peak form before the injuries kicked in.
🐐 status u had to be there!
My favorite 1-2 punch ever. Shaq and Penny.
Great content as always
My favorite point guard in 2K!
Great videos man, keep the content coming
my all time fave player until now
Penny was my best player of all times
Penny could have ended up as a top-5 PG of all time if it weren’t for the injuries. He had such a great trajectory to start his career.
I'd love to see you do one of these for a cat like Glen Rice
reading all the comments.. just reminded me how big an impact penny had on basketball/nba.. still my fav player of all time.
Penny is one of my all time favorite players. He and Len Bias are my two greatest What If’s!
Favorite player and one of the greatest still with injuries !! So fun to watch! Miss the 1990's eral
The greatest player the city of Memphis ever produced.
Penny Grant Hill T Mac Yao Brandon Roy and more injuries robbed them
And Baron Davis who was nice but would have been on another level were it not for his knee.
@@geraldslaughter1996 So true we may never truly know how high Baron''s potential would've been
Travion Johnson don’t forget Gilbert arenas
Not all gifted players are built alike. There are few players like Stockton, AC Green, etc. who actually manage to play consecutive full NBA seasons. Ironic considering you have people harping about better advancements in sports medicine for athletes and yet many of the elite players are under load management. Few even complete the whole 82 games anymore.
It's good to see Derrick Rose out there on the come back, he easily could've been just another on this list of tragedies here. Love a come back story. The craziest being Bernard King.
Penny will always be my all time favorite player
Notice how hard they are hand checking Penny. In this era he would have been a monster.
Penny and Tracy. My favorite players
Penny was my favorite, hands down! Great guy, great player, great coach!
My two favorite players of all time are Penny and T-Mac. Coincidentally, both wore #1 for the Magic, and both would show greatness in their early 20's and then deal with injuries before their primes, which completely affected their careers badly.
Your vids are fire bro
penny and his no look pass behind him. just an awesome player. sorry he got hurt.
Hey man, you're one of my favorite NBA info YT channels. You have your own unique sound and approach, keep up the good work!
Hey bro, you have no idea how much I appreciate this comment. One of my insecurities about starting this channel was I didn't think I had a good voice for this style of videos, so hearing you compliment the sound and the approach means a ton
@@jonnyarnett np my man, I like to give credit where it's due, and I know these videos take a good amount of time and effort to make, so I speak for myself and alot of others when we say we appreciate what you do man.
@@jonnyarnett and btw your voice is actually preferred (by me atleast) with narrated explanations compared to some others that try a little to hard to be someone more than what they are and you can tell. Which is fine, i understand they want to make it entertaining, but that's not why I click on these vids lol. So yah man, nothing to be insecure about, I noticed you have 30k subs, I honestly thought you were one of those multiple 100k CZcamsrs atleast, which is still achievable in the near if you keep up the good work! Lol, ok take care Sweat.
Thanks man! Yeah, when CZcams channels get over-sensationalized, kinda pushes me away too. I'm stoked to just hit 30k! My channel is actually relatively new compared to the bigger CZcamsrs. My analytics say I'm pulling in about 4k subs a month right now, which means if I keep this up, I'll hit 100k in about a year and a half! All thanks to subs like you bro! Thanks for making my dream come true :)
@@jonnyarnett no problem man, and it's not us making it come true, it's you my dude! We're just here to acknowledge it and give you admiration 👍.
One of the best ever played this game!
I was very sad to see what happened to both Penny & Hill. They were my generation stars - some of the first players I saw their whole NBA careers - and both got derailed. I still got to see others, of course, but man, both of those guys were *special*
Penny had the potential for greatness if not for the injuries. He was a more refined version of Westbrook
Hall of Famer, NBA Champion, MVP
He's basically MVP Drose. Also they both went to Memphis, wore the same number, and both got injured 4 years after getting drafted
The best guard in the league for a season, Penny would have been a parenial all-star and an MVP vote getter if healthy.
See people don’t know if they don’t know. Penny is why I wanted to play the game. I watched basketball since 88 but never wanted to pick the ball up until I saw penny. Him and grant Hill would’ve been something to talk about if they didn’t get hurt. They would be in that top ten conversations trust me they were that good at such a young age. Just imagine them getting to there prime. Wow.
My favorite player all time
Another great video. Was thinking of some players I wonder if you have on your radar at all. Kevin Johnson, Glen Robinson, Sleepy Floyd, Rick Barry, Dennis Johnson. I could go on lol. Also what do you think would have happened if the 90’s Bulls switched places with either the 80’s Celtics or Lakers? I think either of those teams would’ve wrecked the 90’s like the Bulls did and the Bulls would’ve split rings with the other in the 80’s. Thanks for all your great content!
Penny was my all time favorite and that says a lot cause he didn't play long... my honest opinion if he didn't get hurt he would have been in the top 5 ever
He was unstoppable before injuries
Penny and grant were those special dudes that had that IT FACTOR. Seemed effortless 2 them
Penny had Top 5 all time potential...
If Penny wasn't injured we would've seen a sick rivalry between Kobe, Penny, and Iverson (remember Iverson and Kobe were the main rivals throughout the 2000's). It would've been crazy.
PENNY came in the league he was super right away...
Been trying to find the behind the back lay up Penny pulled on an away game vs Miami for an hour but this is a great distraction.
One of the best to ever play
Penny Hardaway...had that fire and was balling hard in Orlando...when he got hurt in the 1996 playoffs against Detroit and with shaq leaving for the Lakers, that's when things went down hill for penny...glad he's doing fine and great after retiring from the NBA...
Yep, he was incredible. Another spectacular talent just like Grant Hill. It's absolutely horrible that he never was able to reach his prime. Very sad.
Special Player!!! My favorite as a kid
Penny was still good in the 1997 playoffs. He was averaging 30 points against the Miami heat on great efficiency for that era.
Yea!!!! Penny was a Beast at the least!!!!! No tellin what could have been!!!!! Sure would’ve like to see!!!!
Norf Memphis Legend!!!
i somewhat like hardaway + he was elite but the magic were swept 3-0 in round 1 of 94 + they got to rounds 4 + 3 in 95 + 96 which were also sweeps
Top 5 best ever easy if healthy