H.O.F. Watch – Penny Hardaway
Every day for the next few weeks we’re gonna take one active NBA star with at least arguable Hall of Fame credentials and break down his chances of getting into the Springfield, Mass., hoops mecca. We’re looking at not just past accomplishments, but also how a player’s career realistically projects for the future. For a full explanation of the process, click here. Today’s candidate: Penny Hardaway.
PENNY HARDAWAY (14th year, Heat/Knicks/Suns/Magic)
15.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.6 steals per game
Why: His first four years in the League. Penny was a beast back then, peaking in 1996 when he put up 21 points, seven assists and two steals per game, made his second straight All-NBA first team and second of four consecutive All-Star Games. That year he also finished third to MJ and David Robinson in the League’s MVP voting, and along with Shaq took Orlando to the Eastern Conference Finals where they lost to the 72-win Bulls. On top of that, he won a gold medal with Team USA in the Olympics that summer. Penny was one of the first big point guards of the post-Magic era to show the vast potential of the groundwork Magic had laid down. He was also incredible in college — at Memphis, he averaged 22 points, 8 boards, 6 dimes, 2 steals and a block per in his junior year, becoming the rare triple-double threat on the college level. Collegehoops.net once ranked Penny as the 5th-best college point guard of the modern era, and in 1990 he was the National High School Player of the Year.
Why not: Everything that’s happened since those first four years. Shaq left for L.A. after Penny’s breakout ’95-96 season, ending Orlando’s budding powerhouse, and injuries soon followed that took Penny from superstar to role player to someone who’s just hanging onto a roster spot in Miami. His numbers are still decent, but he hasn’t been relevant or very effective in this decade.
Our call: OUT
The H.O.F. Watch archive
10/23 – Alonzo Mourning
10/22 – Allen Iverson
10/19 – Dwyane Wade
10/18 – Chauncey Billups
10/17 – Stephon Marbury
10/16 – Jason Kidd
10/15 – Shawn Marion
10/12 – Ray Allen
10/11 – Chris Bosh
10/10 – Chris Webber
10/9 – Paul Pierce
10/5 – Jermaine O’Neal
10/4 – Gary Payton
10/3 – Tracy McGrady
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October 24th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
Gee says:
I am just gone say naw on this one. Nope. I am pretty spent in saying Zo was in. So without real defense Penny just gets a no. I did like the Little Penny commercials much better than Lebron’s Sprite commercials with that Afro doll.
October 24th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
Tom Toronto says:
Penny Hardaway: Completely OUT.
Lil Penny: IN.
October 24th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
Lucky Lester says:
Injuries derailed a very promising career – didn’t he have some foot problems, anyone? What happened – i know it was crazy shit.
October 24th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
2 Easy says:
It hurts me to say this cause I loved Penny’s potential, hell back in the day I used to rock his kicks but he flopped so hard its painful to follow and as we’ve said till we all turned blue you cant judge a player based on 5 or less years. If he has a Zo-like return wit the Heat and reminds us all of his skills he may just have a good argument but even then its a stretch
My call: waaay out, the juries still out on lil penny though lol
October 24th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
Smity says:
lil penny was the best basketball sidekick of all time. lebrons lil homie is just annoying. i can’t even remember how penny got hurt in the first place. too bad things didnt work out for him.
October 24th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Austin Burton says:
Penny is the Gale Sayers of the NBA when it comes to Hall of Fame arguments. Sayers is in the Pro Football HOF despite playing basically 5 seasons. (And that HOF doesn’t count college/high school accomplishments.) In that short time, though, Sayers was unbelievable. Was Penny on a Sayers-like level in his prime years? Not exactly, but he was close. And the fact that so many current NBA stars say they patterned their game after Penny’s says a lot. Still, I would say he doesn’t get in. If he’d had one more season where he’d won MVP or won a championship, I’d be more inclined to put him in.
October 24th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
fiyaman says:
Penny? Nope, not worth a Dime.
October 24th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
Jason Penniecook says:
Man this one hurts… still like the dude, and I hope he makes all the critics and haters eat their words… still can’t really fault your analysis… he out…
October 24th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
wat_helmet says:
just wondering… is dennis rodman in the hof?
if his not, dime should definitely mention him.
i say his clearly in.
October 24th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
asf says:
u shud do grant hill; and do some ncaa hall of fame ones
October 24th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
sans says:
too bad for Penny. Maybe if his knee held up. Or he did anything in Phx or NY. I still don’t think Zo should get in. I would take Rodman over him on defense and rebounding, and seriously, he wasn’t that good on O, midrange jumpers aside.
October 24th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
jay says:
i loved penny but no way is he HOF material. he was the man from 93-96…97 playoffs droppin 40 on the heat back to back…but he has been an after thought for more than a decade.. he does make the hall in one sense..his sig shoes..best line besides the GOAT
penny 1 was dope
penny 2 straight fire..still have the black/blue
penny 3-revolutionary
penny foam…97 playoffs…do i need to say more..straight fire!
penny 4-still being reto’d need i say more!!!
October 24th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
Myrie in NY says:
Hardaway is out. Pretty boy was nice, but not Hall worthy.
October 24th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Tbest says:
Was this one a joke. Who’s next Gheorghe Muresan:
Why: Avg. 14pts. 9.6 rebs in 95-96. Starring role in my giant.
Why not: Are you kidding he’s a lock.
Up Tomorrow: Jerome James (remember that playoff run)
October 24th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Myrie in NY says:
I feel you Tbest. The nominations here are laughable most days. I think Rik Smits is next; followed by Calbert Cheaney.
October 24th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Bust Jlaze says:
I don’t think these are necessarily “nominations”, just players that are up for debate, like, just to see what cats like us would say…I gotta say he’s out, but would have been in if he could have stayed healthy.
October 24th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
Triple Threat says:
NO.
October 24th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Gregg says:
all i got to say is “BLUE CHIPS”!
October 24th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Mike says:
It’s kinda weird what happened to Penny.
Yeah the injuries took away his speed and hops, but why did his passing and basketball IQ disappear as well?
I mean when Jordan lost a step during his last years with the Bulls, he was still the best right?
Penny went from being a superstar to being the most mediocre player in the NBA when he lost his athleticism..
October 24th, 2007 at 7:30 pm
Data says:
Correct me if i’m wrong, but i believe penny was shot in the foot prior to playing in the NBA and that’s how all the ankle problems started no?
October 24th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
Bron42 says:
Penny was pretty much what Dwade is now but taller. And its not that his IQ suddenly went away but you forget how athletic penny was when he game in the league, alot of his game revolved around that. So when he had the knee injury, ankles, etc.. most of his game went with it. Your mind can tell you “hey the lane is open, take it” as much as it wants but it dont matter if ur body is too jacked up to handle it. Lil penny help chris rocks career a float for a while so he should be in just for that but sadly, i dont think him or grant hill will make it unless they get nice guy points. ANd yea, as of now hes def gale sayers.
October 24th, 2007 at 8:33 pm
Duke says:
why even bother listing penny.
October 24th, 2007 at 10:48 pm
Gmoney says:
is this a joke?
October 24th, 2007 at 11:13 pm
Bron42 says:
first you guys complain when they list guys who are “locks” to be in. Now u complain when they list guys YOU don’t thing deserve question. Make up your mind. Its worth listing cuz the question is, does his hof early career overwelm his injury proned current career ala grant hill.
October 25th, 2007 at 12:39 am
Mike says:
That taller D-Wade comparison seems on point, Bron42.
I never thought about it that way before..
Yeah Penny really was damn good back in the day..
Do you think if Penny circa 95′ was playing right now, would he be considered in the same level as LeBron or Kobe? Or would he be in the tier just below, with Gilbert and melo and them?
October 25th, 2007 at 6:38 am
doc says:
yall trippin
October 25th, 2007 at 10:37 am
Amar says:
shit . . . if penny is in, so is michael ray richardson . . .
October 25th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
Gregg says:
Can we get to the controversial ones like Grant Hill (great in the beginning of his career), Robert Horry (has won championships but no individual accolades except game deciding shots), Steve Nash (very good in his 30′s), or Elton Brand (solid 20/10 guy playing for bad teams except for one year they made noise in the playoffs, and someone please tell me how is that not comparable to Z-BO?)
October 25th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
wat_helmet says:
steve nash is definitely in… 2 mvp’s almost a third
October 25th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Dre in O Town says:
ummm, NO.
October 25th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
rean says:
penny is the man.
i’m still looking at the things he did and not what he did not.
he’s still my hero. definitely IN.
October 26th, 2007 at 6:20 am
skywarp says:
damN!
i love penny!… probably the best player to have ever played the game if it wasnt because of that damn knee!.maybe penny can average 20+ points this season and have a lights out moment in the playoff..
October 26th, 2007 at 7:33 am
svigi says:
Penny was one of my favorite players . He could do everything on both ends of the court and did it with style. He was as good as anybody who is in the hall now. It’s sad that injuries happened. He has too less dominant season and that’s why he is out. He hasn’t lost his bball IQ, just hard to play in a leaguae where speed and power dominates and you lost steps (not one,a lot..and you have pain in your knees all the time). I hope he has a nice season in Miami.
October 26th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
HoopDreams says:
some people are ignorant to how good Penny was in his first 4-5 seasons in the League – and we are talking about a League that still featured Jordan and Pippen and Olajuwon and Ewing and on and on…but, so bet it…
now, should he be in the Hall? I don’t think so, but it is not beyond reason that he gets on the yes/no Dime list and those who act astounded were probably in diapers when he was leading the Magic past the Knicks and Bulls in the playoffs…
October 27th, 2007 at 2:26 am
AHak says:
I feel for Penny. He was amazing to watch when he was young but he don’t deserve to be HOF as an NBA player. But maybe as a college player, right?
BTW, did Shaq quit Orlando because Penny was getting too big? What was all that about? With a good coach he would have won more championships in Orlando than he did in LA.
October 29th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
Kart says:
Penny was surely the Lebron of now. Not Melo or other types. And if I remember right, Penny is as of now the second most idolized player for current NBA players (2nd to Jordan). This alone tells you a lot. This makes a lot of sense if you watched his game a decade ago. His shooting percentage was above 51% at his prime seasons, and it just seemed so easy for him. He can pass, can shoot, can dunk with ease. Not trying to diminish today’s player, but Kobe never shot more than 47% a season. I agree Penny was like a taller Wade, only I feel Penny can make things look even easier than Wade. And don’t forget Penny is still the only player that Jordan agreed likely to be his successor. Not even Kobe, Carter, or Lebron has done so yet.
November 4th, 2007 at 6:08 am
ride01 says:
Lost money betting on them that year against the Bulls. He’s out.
However, even before the injuries, he didn’t play as well without Shaq. Just goes to show you what the big man brings to the table.
November 16th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
myk says:
If Grant Hill is IN then Penny surely deserves to be IN. I doubt both at this stage will get into the HOF, but Penny had a great first 7 seasons as opposed to first 4:
Regular Season (First 7)
93-94 (82 games): 16 ppg, 6.6 apg, 5.4 rpg
94-95 (77 games): 20.9 ppg, 7.2 apg, 4.4 rpg
95-96 (82 games): 21.7 ppg, 7.1 apg, 4.3 rpg
96-97 (59 games): 20.5 ppg, 5.6 apg, 4.5 rpg
97-98 (19 games): 16.4 ppg, 3.6 apg, 4.0 rpg
98-99 (50 games): 15.8 ppg, 5.3 apg, 5.7 rpg
99-00 (60 games): 16.9 ppg, 5.3 apg, 5.8 rpg
Playoffs (All)
93-94: 18.7 ppg, 7.0 apg, 6.7 rpg
94-95: 19.6 ppg, 7.7 apg, 3.7 rpg
95-96: 23.3 ppg, 6.0 apg, 4.7 rpg
96-97: 31.0 ppg, 3.4 apg, 6.0 rpg
98-99: 19.0 ppg, 5.5 apg, 5.0 rpg
99-00: 20.3 ppg, 5.7 apg, 4.9 rpg
02-03: 12.7 ppg, 4.3 apg, 6.0 rpg
03-04: 16.5 ppg, 5.8 apg, 4.5 rpg
Total: 20.4 ppg, 6.2 apg, 4.7 rpg
If you look at that, he was pretty consistent his first 7 seasons and in the playoffs he was great as well. There’s a HOF monitor which mentions that 80 % of players who have made the All NBA First Team Twice are eligible for the HOF, are in the HOF, and Penny has accomplished that. However I don’t think its enough to get him in. The same HOF monitor has Penny at a rating of 125 and it says a 135 or more is a likely HOF’er.
Penny (besides Jordan) was by far the standout guard in the 90′s, he was the closest we’ve ever seen to Magic, and I think if Hill’s accomplishments and talents are taken into consideration then so should Penny’s, the guy was amazing.
If Penny had never gotten injured, right now he’d probably be thinking what to wear and what speech to make when he gets in. Even if he played a full healthy ten years, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. By that time, he would have had more All NBA and All Star selections and maybe even an MVP Award. Or if he had comeback strong after his injury, it would have been a different story.
But those times with the Suns and Knicks on the bench and when he wasn’t as effective have kind of tarnished his image with people, definitely not with me though, he’ll always remain great in my eyes.
November 19th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
ajay says:
who are you all to give opinions about one hell of an athlete……at 36 with how many knee surgeries,he can play just as good as some of the youngsters shooting 6-6 under pressure while millions are watching to gain a win for the team. that is the problem with our society, we are so quick to go on to the so call next best thing….u see this in music, sports, and movies…i bet none of you could even step on the court with penny 2day, not to mention how he was back in the day. he has earned a place in NBA history, who do you think Tracy McGrady and the other greats crafted themselves after…..
December 17th, 2007 at 12:34 am
nick says:
He deserves a legitimate shot, he was amazing those first 7 years that were laid out above. Without the injuries he would probably still be one of the top players in the league and this wouldnt even be a question. Even watching him this year I thought he looked decent considering he hasnt played in awhile. I started watching the nba again this year simply because of pennys return. Hes always been my favorite player and I will always consider him one of the best ever. Anybody who disagrees mustve never watched him play in his prime.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:23 pm
LayLow says:
Yes, I’m going with quality not quantity. Penny was the Man for 5 years. I believe you should base a person’s nomination on there work prior to injuries. I don think injuries should be the reason a Superstar should be kept out of the HOF.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:27 pm
LayLow says:
And another thing, I think HOF nods should always go to players that were the best at their position during their time. Healthy Penny was in the top 5 best players and the most versatile guard in his era. He was the only player to undress Scotty Pippen and MJ. Yes, he is IN.
February 15th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
DJ says:
Penny’s career did not in because of Shaq, He still was holden up Orlando check out the 97 Play off games against Miami when he scored 40 + back to back, but i guess some of you were not born yet……When he played with Phx he helped lead them to the play offs……I thinks FACTS should only be stated on this site….he was a beast, a monster…..HATERS
February 15th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
DJ says:
No question this site is for youngsters cuz they don’t remember any of the games of ole boy
March 4th, 2008 at 1:39 am
Stevie G says:
Penny is hands down one of the best guards the NBA has seen, his spin move at the top of the key would shake the shorts off the likes of Jordan and Reggie followed by one step and a one handed dunk. Unlike Kobe and Lebron he had charisma and the only player to top him in that respect was Jordan. Lebron is not as popular and his team is not as exciting – The Orlando Magic took over the United States in the 90′s, kids in my native new york were rocking Orlando sheets and jackets and jersey’s – largely because of Penny. No questions asked, Penny would have replaced Jordan in the public eye if only his health held up. Do i think this is worthy of a HOF nod – as much as i want Penny in it and no matter what the stats show, Penny does not get respect from anyone. Point being, Penny does NOT get into the HOF.
March 6th, 2008 at 12:23 am
Rahji says:
PENNY is PENNY. No mistake about it. People who dont appreciate his greatnesss definitely never saw him play. This generation of NBA Superstars owe a lot to Penny since they grew up idolizing him. The HOF should be about how a person has left his imprint on the generation after him. Dr. J did this for Michael, Michael did this for Penny and Penny has done it for the new generation of stars that we are now seeing in the NBA (McGrady and all).
April 6th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Sharp says:
Check this,
How soon we forget. To all you fake NBA fans who just started watching basketball after Y2K, I have just one word to say…YouTube. Go there and look up Penny in his prime, the dude was arguably the best all-around player the game has ever seen. He could do everything Jordan could, but on top of all that, his court vision was second to none. Yeah I know about the injuries, but like someone else posted, so many current NBA players modeled their own game after PEnny. That’s the true definition of Real recognizing Real. My vote: IN
August 24th, 2008 at 1:24 am
Victor says:
I would give Penny the nod for the hall of fame. The guy was so dominating on the offensive end that it was crazy the way he got past defenders. The defenses were tougher in the 90s than it is today and Penny was just going right past defenders. With or without the injuries Penny gets into the hall of fame with the way he influenced the game. T-mac, Kobe, Lebron, and Arenas idolized Penny.
January 21st, 2010 at 6:34 pm
JZ says:
Penny Hardaway is my all time favorite player. Everyonewho is pro-penny for the hall of fame are right in your critiques of the game. HE COULD DO EVERYTHING WITH EASE. He was a ligther Magic Johnson with slightly worse court vision and rebounding abilities but could jump out of the gym and shoot the 3 and mid range jump-shot better than Magic. However, he is not a hall of famer. Even Gale Sayers career pans-out longer considering he is a running back whose life spans are usually only about 7 or 8 years.
—But Kids check out those youtube videos, Penny is a taller smoother Dwayne Wade who turns the ball over less.