Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway, a renowned American college basketball coach for the Memphis Tigers, has a rich professional background as a former NBA player. Notably, he was an exceptionally tall point guard who earned NBA All-Star honors in his initial seasons.
Selected by the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the 1993 NBA draft, Hardaway was traded to the Orlando Magic along with three future first-round picks, just two days prior to the draft. This move was facilitated by his impressive performance in a pick-up basketball game with several Magic players, which left a lasting impression on the organization.
Initially, Hardaway started the season at the shooting guard position, learning the point guard position from veteran Scott Skiles. By mid-season, he took over point guard duties from Skiles and quickly made a significant impact on the league. He won the MVP award at the inaugural Schick Rookie Game, helped the Magic secure their first playoff berth and 50-win season, and recorded 16 points, 6.6 assists, 5.4 rebounds per game, with 190 steals ranking 6th in the league. He also achieved his first career triple-double with 14 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds against the Boston Celtics.
For his outstanding performance, Hardaway was named to the NBA All-Rookie first team and was the runner-up for Rookie of the Year to Chris Webber.
During the 1994-95 NBA season, the Magic won a franchise-record 57 games, with Hardaway averaging 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game. He was selected as a starter in his first NBA All-Star game and earned All-NBA First Team honors. The highlight of the playoff run was the second-round defeat of the Chicago Bulls, where he led his team to the NBA Finals alongside Shaquille O'Neal, despite ultimately being swept by the Houston Rockets. Hardaway averaged 25.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 8 assists in the series, shooting 50% from the field.
In the summer of 1996, Hardaway played for the 1996 US Olympic Games Basketball Team, which won a gold medal. He averaged 9 points, 4.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in the eight games, making significant contributions in the quarterfinal game against Brazil, where he scored 14 points, and in the Gold Medal game against Yugoslavia, where he scored 17 points.
