Penny Hardaway

At 53 years old, Penny Hardaway has this physical status:

Anfernee Deon "Penny" Hardaway (born July 18, 1971) is an American college basketball coach for the Memphis Tigers and a former professional player.

Hardaway played in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where as an exceptionally tall point guard, he was an NBA All-Star in his first few seasons.

Early life

Hardaway is the son of Fae Hardaway (born 1951) and Eddie Golden. The name Anfernee () was that of a schoolmate of his mother. When she left Memphis to work in Oakland in 1974, she left her son with her mother Louise. His nickname came as a result of his grandmother's calling him "Pretty" with a southern drawl, thus sounding like "Penny". Hardaway's first love was football but his grandmother did not want him to get hurt. He grew up in the Binghampton neighborhood of shotgun houses in Memphis, Tennessee. As a teenager Hardaway refereed youth sports at the Memphis YMCA and played on the Memphis Y.M.C.A. Jr. Olympic basketball team.

Personal life

Penny has a son Jayden who plays guard at the University of Memphis where Penny is head coach. Anfernee also has two daughters born in 1992 and 1995, both with his former girlfriend from high school. Penny also has a son that is a sophomore in HS.

Hardaway is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

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High school career

As a senior and was named Parade Magazine National High School Player of the Year, Hardaway grew up playing basketball in Memphis for Treadwell High School, where he averaged 36.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.8 blocks, and 2.8 blocks. He earned a 3.039 points in his high school career.

College career

According to the Proposition 48 law, Hardaway, a graduate of Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis), had to miss the 1990–91 season with the Memphis State Tigers due to being academically ineligible. His grades were so poor that he was admitted to the University on a special exemption from University President Thomas G. Carpenter. He took the ACT five times with a maximum score of 17.2, with 17.5 being required to enroll in college.

Hardaway was arrested at gunpoint outside his cousin LaMarcus Golden's house and was shot in his foot by a stray bullet, putting his career in jeopardy. He was inspired to live better and achieve more by being inspired to do more, and he made the Dean's List with a 3.4 grade-point average as an education major.

Hardaway was accepted to the 1992 USA Basketball Developmental Team, which scrimmaged daily against the 1992 Olympic team in the summer of 1992. Hardaway worked with Chris Webber, Bobby Hurley, Jamal Mashburn, Rodney Rogers, Eric Montross, Grant Hill, and Allan Houston.

Hardaway's junior season (1992–93) saw him rise in his numbers from the previous year. He had 22.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 6.4 spg, 2.4 spg, and 1.2 bpg. He has two triple doubles. He was named an All-American once more. He was also a finalist for the Naismith College Player of the Year and the John R. Wooden Award, which are both given annually to the most outstanding player in college basketball.

Hardaway's senior season ended in 1993, but he did not reach the 1993 NBA Draft until he reached his 3.4 cumulative GPA. While playing for the Tigers in 1994, Memphis State retired his jersey number, 25, Hardaway's number. He returned to the University of Memphis in May 2003 and graduated with a bachelor's degree in professional studies, ten years after leaving school early to become a pro.

By collegehoopsnet.com, Hardaway was ranked #5 on the list of top 100 modern college point guards. In addition, he was the top vote getter on ESPN's USA Silver Anniversary Team.

Professional career

In the first round of the 1993 NBA draft (third pick overall), Hardaway was chosen by the Golden State Warriors as the first overall pick of first overall pick Chris Webber. The Magic's intention was to draft Webber and pair him with Shaquille O'Neal until Hardaway, who wanted to compete with O'Neal, requested a second workout to show why he should be their pick. Hardaway was involved in a pick-up basketball game with several Magic players and local talent, and impressed the organization enough to warrant the draft day trade two days before.

He started the season at the shooting guard position before learning the point guard position from veteran Scott Skiles. He took over point guard duties from Skiles by mid-season. He made an immediate impact on the league by winning the MVP award at the inaugural Schick Rookie Game. The Magicians won their first playoff appearance and first 50-win season, according to Hardaway. He averaged 16 points, 6.6 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game, while his 190 steals ranked 6th in the league. Against the Boston Celtics, he scored 14 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds for his first triple double double. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie first squad and finished runner-up to Chris Webber in Rookie of the Year.

The Magic won a franchise-record 57 games during the 1994–95 NBA season, while Hardaway averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game. He was a starter in his first NBA All-Star game and was named All-NBA First Team. The Chicago Bulls' second-round victory was the highlight of the playoff season. He, along with Shaquille O'Neal, led his team to the NBA Finals, where they were swept by the Houston Rockets. Despite the sweep, Hardaway earned 25.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 8 assists in the series, while shooting 50% from the field.

Hardaway was unable to contribute more of the scoring load in the first few weeks of the season due to an injury to star teammate Shaquille O'Neal at the start of the 1995–96 NBA season. He aided the Magic in getting off to a 17-five start. He was named NBA Player of the Month for November by averaging 27.0 points, 6.5 assists, 5.8 steals, 2.2 blocks, and 1 block per game. While leading the Magic to a franchise record 60 wins, he was named a starter in the NBA All-Star Game for the second straight season. For the second year in a row, he was selected to the All-NBA First Team, shooting 166 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.3 steals, finishing in 5th place in the league. In MVP voting, he also came in third place. During the regular season, Hardaway was the only NBA player with at least 20 points and five assists, and shot 50 percent on field goals. The Magic's playoff run came to an end in the Eastern Conference Finals to the eventual champion Chicago Bulls. Hardaway averaged 23.3 points, 6 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in a 12-game playoff run.

Hardaway later revealed that his first serious knee injury came in 1996 against Detroit, where Joe Dumars struck him in the back of his knee but battled through the pain. He underwent surgery during the off-season, and felt that the injury had robbed him of his dynamism.

Hardaway played on the 1996 US Olympic Games Basketball Team, which earned a gold medal in the summer. In the eight games, Hardaway averaged 9 points, 4.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. His two best performances came in the quarterfinal game against Brazil, where he chipped in 14 points and won the gold medal game against Yugoslavia, where he scored 17 points.

O'Neal's move to the Los Angeles Lakers in the off-season left Hardaway as the Magic's lone star on the 1996-97 NBA season. Hardaway suffered through an injury-plagued year, but the NBA All-Star game still featured a starter for the third time in a row. During the season, Hardaway, the team's captain, triggered a coup to fire Brian Hill, the only coach on the team, with only 33 games remaining. He averaged 20.5 points, 5.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game in 59 regular-season games and was named to the All-NBA Third Team. With a 45-win record, the Magic made it to the playoffs. In the first round of the playoffs, the Magicians lost 0–2 to the Miami Heat. Hardaway finished in Game 3 and 41 in Game 4 to force a Game 5 in Miami (becoming the first player to score 40 points in back-to-back playoff games against a Pat Riley-coached team). In Game 5, Hardaway scored 33 points, but the Magic fell short. Hardaway made the playoffs with averages of 31 points, 6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. His playoff scoring average came in a close second to Michael Jordan (31.1).

Hardaway was forced to miss the majority of the season due to a catastrophic left knee injury suffered early in the 1997–98 NBA season. Despite injury, he was voted to start NBA All-Star Game for the fourth year in a row, and he had six points and three assists in 12 minutes at New York. However, he was chastised for starting a comeback earlier than expected by playing in the All-Star Game. He appeared in his last game a week after the All-Star game and missed the remainder of the season (Hardaway had since undergone four more surgeries on his left knee, which had gradually hampered his athletic skills). He played 16.4 points, 4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.5 steals in 19 games.

Hardaway returned from the lockout-shortened 1999 season and played in all 50 regular-season games, leading the Magic to their third-best regular-season record in the Eastern Conference. He had a 15.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists, and his 111 steals ranked him 5th in the league, finishing 5th. The Magic then lost a first-round match to the Philadelphia 76ers in which Hardaway averaged 19 points, 5.5 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2.3 steals. It would be his last season in Orlando.

Hardaway was traded to the Phoenix Suns in 1999 for Danny Manning, Pat Garrity, and two future first round picks, at the behest of Phoenix Suns' point guard Jason Kidd.

Hardaway averaged 19 points, 6.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game in 369 regular season games with the Magic. He averaged 21.8 points, 6.5 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.9 steals in 45 playoff games.

Before the 1999–2000 NBA season, Hardaway came to Phoenix via a sign-and-trade with Orlando, teaming with fellow All-Star guard Jason Kidd, establishing what the Suns called BackCourt 2000. They were only allowed to play 45 games together due to injuries to Hardaway's foot and Kidd's ankle (33–12 with both players in lineup). With a 42-18 record, Hardaway averaged 16.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.6 steals in 60 games. The Suns qualified to the Western Conference Playoffs with a 53-29 record and a fifth seed. Kidd's ankle injury forced him to miss the majority of the first round against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. In a crucial Game 3 victory, Hardaway stepped up and scored a 17-point, 13-assist triple-double. In four games, the Suns defeated the Spurs. Hardaway was thrown into the Conference Semi-Finals against his old teammate Shaquille O'Neal and the Lakers. In 5 games, the Suns fell short of the eventual champion Lakers. During the nine playoff games, Hardaway averaged 20.3 points, 5.7 assists, 4.9 steals, 1.13 blocks, and 1 block per game.

The outlook was optimistic going into the 2000–01 NBA season, but Hardaway was forced to miss only four games during the season due to two microfracture surgeries on his left knee. He averaged 9.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals in his four games.

Hardaway's 2001-2002 NBA season was a success and they appeared in 80 regular-season games. Chris Dudley, a kidd and Chris Dudley, had been traded to the New Jersey Nets for new point guard Stephon Marbury, Johnny Newman, and Soumaila Samake. The kidd's pass-first style was modified with Marbury's shoot-first look, which culminated in Hardaway and Marbury butting heads. During the month of November, Hardaway managed to average 19.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.7 steals. Hardaway was recalled to the bench for the first time in his career when the team traded for guard Joe Johnson. Despite this, he averaged 12 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.5 steals during the regular season.

Hardaway came off the bench during the 2002-03 NBA season. Hardaway was able to return to the starting lineup early in the season due to inconsistent play by young Joe Johnson. His regular veteran service was a key component of a team that featured young players like Marbury, Amar's Stoudemire, and Shawn Marion. In his absence, Hardaway missed 24 games due to a hand injury in which the team went 10–14. On April 9, he returned in time to record a 10-point, 10-assist, 10-rebound triple-double against the Dallas Mavericks. Hardaway averaged 10.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.1 steals during the regular season. In the first round, the Suns gave the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs a scare before losing in six games. In the series, Hardaway averaged 12.7 points, 6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.2 steals.

Hardaway shuffle in and out of the Suns starting lineup during the 2003–04 NBA season. Howard Eisley, Maciej Lampe, Charlie Ward, and Antonio McDyess were traded to the New York Knicks in January 6, 2004, as well as Marbury and backup center Cezary Trybawski in exchange for Howard Eisley, Maciej Lampe, Charlie Ward, and Antonio McDyess. Milo Vujani's contract as well as two first-round draft picks in the contract were also released by the Suns. In 34 games for the Suns, he averaged 8.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. Phoenix converted the cap room that had been carved out by the trade to sign free-agent point guard Steve Nash to a big contract from 2004-2005.

He averaged 12.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.3 steals in 236 regular season games with the Suns. He averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.8 steals in 15 playoff games.

The Knicks were led by Hardaway and Marbury to the 2004 NBA Playoffs. Hardaway averaged 9.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1 steal in 42 regular-season games with the Knicks. He averaged 9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 76 total games over the season. In the first round of the playoffs, the Knicks lost to the New Jersey Nets. Hardaway led the Knicks in scoring in two playoff games while still scoring 16.5 points, 5.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in the series.

The bulk of the 2004-05 NBA season was marred by injuries. In an 11-game span during the season's middle, he averaged 11.9 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.5 rebounds. In 37 games, he had 7.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2 assists.

While trying to recover arthritic knees, Hardaway appeared in just four games for the Knicks in the 2005–06 NBA season. In those games, he averaged 2.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2 assists.

He averaged 8.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 83 games for the Knicks.

Hardaway and Trevor Ariza were swapped back to Orlando, Florida, on February 22, 2006, for Steve Francis. The Magic of Hardaway was dismissed five days later.

The Miami Heat reunited Hardaway with former teammate Shaquille O'Neal on August 9, 2007. He wore jersey number 7, marking the first time in his pro career that he didn't wear number 1. He was waived by the Miami Heat in order to free up a roster spot for free agent Luke Jackson on December 12, 2007. He averaged 3.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.19 steals in 16 regular season games. In a win over New Jersey Nets on the road over November 17, he played his best game of the season on the road, 6–6 shooting for 16 points.

Coaching career

Although Merriweather was undergoing colon cancer treatment, Hardaway took over for his friend Desmond Merriweather as a mentor for his middle school alma mater, Lester Middle School. Hardaway introduced a mandatory tutoring service with the aim of assisting each of his players after college. He coached the Lester Lions to the West Tennessee State championship, winning 28-3 on the season.

Hardaway was hired as head coach by his alma mater, the Memphis Tigers, on March 19, 2018. Tubby Smith, the former head coach, was hired to replace Hardaway. Hardaway, the Tigers' first year as head coach, led them to the NIT. He also received the highest recruiting class in the country thanks to the commitments of number one rated high school player James Wiseman, D.J. Jeffries, who graduated from Kentucky; Boogie Ellis, who resigned from Duke; and others. Precious Achiuwa, a top-20 five-star recruit, signed with Memphis on May 17, 2019.

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