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 Despite numerous injuries in his
10-year career, Anfernee "Penny"
Hardaway is still one of the best
all-around players in the game and
is looking to regain his All-NBA
form... The 6-7, 215-pound guard,
now in his fifth season with the
Suns, was projected for NBA glory
from the time he was a high school
star in Memphis. As early as his
sophomore season at Memphis State,
Hardaway's game was so polished and
his skills so diverse that he was
hailed as the second coming of Magic
Johnson. And by his junior year, the
Tennessee native was a consensus
First Team All-American and a
two-time Great Midwest Conference
Player of the Year...Book
Penny Hardaway for Your Event
When
Penny announced he would pass up his
senior season to enter the '93 NBA
Draft, he became one of the most
coveted prospects in the land.
Although selected by Golden State,
Hardaway landed in Orlando after one
of the biggest draft-day trades in
NBA history... Having won the draft
lottery for the second season in a
row, the Magic selected Chris Webber
with the first overall pick. Next
up, the Philadelphia 76ers took
Shawn Bradley at No. 2, and then the
Warriors claimed Hardaway at No. 3.
But the Warriors were looking for a
big man and the Magic were looking
for a backcourt complement to
Shaquille O'Neal, the top pick in
'92. As a result, Orlando traded
Webber's rights to Golden State for
the rights to Hardaway and three
future first-round draft choices...
In an effort to ease Hardaway's
adjustment to playing point guard in
the NBA, then-Magic coach Brian Hill
started him at off guard for the
first half of his rookie season.
Hill eventually moved the Penny to
the point in place of former Suns
Head Coach Scott Skiles, and the
21-year-old nearly won Rookie of the
Year honors... From there, Hardaway
emerged as one of the league's elite
players, earning All-NBA First Team
honors in only his second season as
the Magic advanced to the NBA
Finals, and making four-straight
All-Star appearances (1995-98). He
also won an Olympic gold medal as a
member of the '96 Dream Team in
Atlanta .. The '96-97 and '97-98
seasons weren't quite as memorable
for Hardaway, however, as a knee
injury sidelined him for a combined
84 games. He would return and play
the full 50-game season in '98-99,
though it would be his last in
Orlando... Exercising an option to
become a free agent during the
summer of '99, Hardaway was pursued
by several teams and recruited
heavily by the Suns. He eventually
chose to sign with Phoenix and,
rather than lose him without
compensation, the Magic agreed to a
sign-and-trade deal on Aug. 5,
'99... In joining the Suns, Hardaway
was paired up with Jason Kidd in
what many expected to become one of
the NBA's all-time guard tandems.
Unfortunately, injuries to both
All-Stars prevented "Backcourt 2000"
from ever reaching its full
potential... In 2001-02 a healthy
Hardaway was teamed up with another
exciting playmaker in Stephon
Marbury, who was traded for Kidd
during the summer of '01... This
past season Hardaway played a key
component in the Suns' surprising
playoff run and his veteran
leadership, and steadying influence
will prove to be invaluable to a
young and up-and-coming Suns team.
>>>
Book Penny Hardaway for Your Event
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