Forget dunking, this is about who was the overall better player in his respective prime: Penny Hardaway or Grant Hill.
(The first two minutes is Penny, the next two is Grant)
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Who was better in their prime: Grant Hill or Penny Hardaway?
66 Responses to “Who was better in their prime: Grant Hill or Penny Hardaway?”
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September 18th, 2008 at 9:05 am
English Off The Glass says:
when Penny was peaking was when i really started getting into ball and had a massive Penny poster on my bedroom wall, so im gonna go with penny.
September 18th, 2008 at 9:09 am
rean pogi says:
Penny all the way! he’s the 1 who got me into basketball.
Grant Hill is a true gentleman, hats-off to him.
Penny the man!
September 18th, 2008 at 9:13 am
rob stewart says:
The first jersey I ever saved up for and bought with my own money was the black Penny Orlando Magic jersey. I was fly back then. I have to go with Penny.
September 18th, 2008 at 9:14 am
it ain't easy being green says:
imma go with penny. He was one of my fav players in the l when I was a youngsta. Wish he lasted a lil longer.
I’m out like lil penny, no diggity
September 18th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Dre says:
At their prime Penny was the best… he was awesome. Grant was always pretty steady but Penny was a game changer.
September 18th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Allan says:
Penny had a better game, even Micheal Jordan said that Penny was his successor . . . he destroyed MJ in a few games I have watched him at his peak with the Magic . . and Penny was awesome before the injury. I go with Penny !
September 18th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Steven says:
Penny, most definitely. I’ve been watching some games of his during the Shaq days and I remember him being a great player but I didn’t realize how great. Better or at least as good as Kobe good, a top 10 of all time good. It was unreal. There were games he had his way with Pippen and he did it all over the court. He was just a bit heavier than Shaun Livingston but his post game was unstoppable, backing you down with his butt, switching hands left and right until his defender was underneath the basket and then he’d put in an easy finish. He could shoot threes (in the playoffs his percentages were great). He could drive with both hands and he was the first guy I remember to have that jumpstop move. He utilized screens with great skill. And he was an excellent passer with a great feel for the game.
Penny was like an 98, Grant a 95.
September 18th, 2008 at 9:27 am
karizmatic says:
I think they were even, I think people forget Grant Hill posted triple doubles on the regular. Anyway How’s this for an all Orlando Magic team?
PG- Penny in his prime
SG- T-Mac
SF- Grant Hill in his prime
PF Dwight Howard
C - Shaq.
It’s fun to dream.
September 18th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Allan says:
Penny in his first 2 years had skills that were out of this world !!! Grant had to develop his during his career, while Penny already was the athletic and better jump shooter version of Magic Johnson . . .Micheal really did believe Penny would take over as a dominant player of his generation.
September 18th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Ian says:
penny over grant no waayyyyy
penny wasnt the best player on his team and grant had to work with almost nothing
even made the allstar team as a rookie
grant was a modern day robertson
hill easy
September 18th, 2008 at 9:30 am
Ian says:
wow guys u make me feel old if u all started watchin bball when penny came in the league
September 18th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Allan says:
If you guys watch penny in his first two years, you too would say that he is the future of the league !!! IT was just so sad he had that career ending injury. His lateral movement has really hampered what the guy has to offer . . .He was the Kobe Bryant of that period !!
September 18th, 2008 at 9:35 am
ERIC says:
Penny was definitely hipper/cooler and more athletic, but GRANT HILL was the superior player.
Grand was the best (yes, best) slasher in the game at his peak with different dribble-drives and because he was such a great passer. He was a triple-double waiting to happen while being THE MAN on those Pistons teams while Penny was second fiddle to Shaq.
I loved Dream Team II bc of both Penny&Grant so its defintely a good debate and difficult choice, but in my opinion, Grant Hill was better at his peak.
September 18th, 2008 at 9:35 am
tony x says:
Grant Hill
September 18th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Smitty313 says:
Are you guys kidding me! I liked Penny whole lot more than Grant Hill.
But G. Hill was a beast before he got injured. He was unstoppable.
Penny was cooler, more exciting at times, but he’s not fucking with Grant.
I don’t fuck with Grant because I hate Duke, besides that he was on his way to being one of the best to do it. He was Lebron before Lebron. I live in Detroit and it seemed like Grant was close to a triple double every night.
September 18th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Big V says:
Penny FTW
September 18th, 2008 at 9:54 am
JA says:
Grant Hill drinks Sprite.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9raQiHJioGM
September 18th, 2008 at 9:57 am
Soopa says:
I agree with the people saying penny had it going on, but hill was the superior player. But I must admit penny was more fun to watch!
September 18th, 2008 at 9:59 am
dukesman2000 says:
Grant Hill by far. Why? Because Penny needed Shaq to shine and once Shaq left we all know what happened. Grant Hill was the sole star on his team in Detroit until his injury. Furhtermore, Grant Hill has proven that he is still a good player, whereas, Penny can’t find a job.
September 18th, 2008 at 10:02 am
josh tha roc says:
G.Hill my favourite player coming up. Absolute GUN.
September 18th, 2008 at 10:05 am
dukesman2000 says:
@ Allen…
You said: “Penny had a better game, even Micheal Jordan said that Penny was his successor . . . ”
No disrespect, MJ was the greatest player in the history of basketball and no other player transcend sports the way he did. However, Michael doesn’t know shit when it comes to talent. This is the guy who picked Kwame Brown number 1 overall. Enough said.
September 18th, 2008 at 10:12 am
smity far away says:
Its hard for me to say…i’d give grant the slight edge but penny was raw as hell.
September 18th, 2008 at 10:13 am
smity far away says:
@Dime
thanks for these videos (this one especially). its nice to live in the past for a little bit…
September 18th, 2008 at 10:20 am
bsteezy3 says:
I LIKED Penny better since he was on my Orlando Magic and all, but come on y’all… Grant Hill was the better player. I didn’t like Grant Hill only because he was on Duke, but once he came in the league, mentored by Joe Dumars, Grant was the man. Look at it this way: Grant could be the MAN on his team and the team would be successful; Penny didn’t do a lot once Shaq was out of the equation. Too bad both guys had similar injury-plagued careers… (Grant can still hoop though…)
September 18th, 2008 at 10:25 am
TD says:
Grant Hill without a doubt. He was putting up lebron numbers(27,7,7) before Lebron was even on the map. If it wasn’t for the fact that he forced himself to play during that year the pistons were in the playoffs he would have gone down as a top 5 SF of all time. He was the man and it’s sad that now his legacy is gonna be what could have been in orlando…
September 18th, 2008 at 10:29 am
justice says:
hard to say but by the post u can see penny was the most popular
September 18th, 2008 at 10:35 am
dapro says:
Damn Dime way to make a brotha feel old
HILL VS PENNY
Although Hill was a triple double waiting to happen and had a lighting quick first step - My vote goes to Penny
Shaq was the man in Orlando but Penny’s scoring was over 30 in the playoffs with a mediocre team minus Shaq while Hill never really elevated his game during the money season
Penny was the Air apparent
It’s funny that Dime would compare the two considering that during the Bulls Golden Era, Penny and Grant routinely had their way against the Bulls D
September 18th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Ian says:
justice
if we polled whos better garnett or duncan 98% will say duncan but they would add something like i like garnett more cuz duncans is too quiet and not as flashy. same thing happens to hill and penny hill is the better player but penny had the commercials and the flashier game.
September 18th, 2008 at 10:43 am
RENO says:
Penny was good but IMO it has to be Grant. He could play the 1, 2, and the 3 for you. People forget how raw Grant was in his prime. He was a Triple Double just waiting to happen. When Hill was in his prime EVERYBODY was passing him the torch as the next face of the NBA. Those talks never circled Penny…. I’ll take Grant Hill over penny all day.
September 18th, 2008 at 10:44 am
Ian says:
dapro
that was one series i think that he scored over 30 and lost it
hill had a crappy pistons teams and played injured
September 18th, 2008 at 10:53 am
dapro says:
That was the only series he played without Shaq (HEALTHY)
We saw a healthy Grant longer than we saw a healthy Penny
I think between the two Penny elevated his game more on the bigger stage
Hill also played with Houston and Hunter during that run
September 18th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Ian says:
dapro what im sayin is
if u r a good player on a bad team its not that hard to get 30
thae hard part is getting 30 and winning
who is hunter??????????
the comparison shouldnt even be as close as the voting is
hill got his team to the playoffs and lost 1st round penny did too then why dont we take the numbers hill owns penny there
now we take the situations they were in penny played most of his healthy career with shaq
hill came into team that was rebuilding and got them back on the map
September 18th, 2008 at 11:21 am
RENO says:
This one reminds me of “White men can’t jump”. When Woody was telling Wes how he rather look bad and win opposed to Wesley’s looking good and losing theory. That’s what you people taking penny are doing. Penny never proved himself as THE MAN. He was the flashy sidekick eating off of Shaq’s plate. Once Shaq bounced that was the end for Penny. Hell lil Penny had a better career. Grant did his thing in Detroit. He caused the double teams, where as Penny fed off of Shaq’s double team. I’ll take a boring winner over a flashy loser any day of the week…. Twice on sunday. Advantage Hill.
September 18th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
dapro says:
Lindsey Hunter
I’m not knocking Hill, dude was a sure first ballot HOF and one of the best SF ever
but to say Penny only ate of Shaq’s leftovers is assine
He played with the “Dwight Howard” version of Shaq
Shaq was most effective in LA
If you compare both players POST season numbers Hill never elevated his level of play, Hardaway did
I think Penny was the better of the two
September 18th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
dapro says:
my bad that’s asinine
September 18th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
shake&bake says:
I like watching Penny more, but I think Grant Hill was a better player. But there is no Lil Grant.
September 18th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Detroit Dave says:
Grant Hill gave Detroit Pistons fans a triple double once a week! There is your answer. Penny was cold, but Grant was the Freezer!
September 18th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
P_Dizzle says:
Grant Hill all the way!
Penny might have had more entertainment to his game, but Grant Hill hands down.
September 18th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
driveatsleep says:
Definitely GRANT HILL!
September 18th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
the_don_mega says:
lets just say penny was the better offensive threat and grant hill in his prime was the more complete player the prototype for LBJ…
September 18th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Pskila says:
Grant was so serious in college…but Penny dogged Mike in the conference playoffs back in 95 :(…Penny was the man even though his body was made like a toothpick. One false move and it was a snap.
September 18th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
DO says:
grant hill, hands down
September 18th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Big Shot BOB says:
Penny was definitely my favorite player growing up. He was the first one with little penny before the Lebron doll. I always bought he’s shoes and always wore number 1 when I played. I also always wore the arm band on my left elbow and kind of modeled my game after his. But I hate when people compare players of different positions. Penny was the point guard so he was naturally a better passer. Grant was a triple double machine but he played foward. So you really can’t compare them to each other because they both had different jobs on the court. But it doesn’t matter anyway both are 50 greatest players of all time.
September 18th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Dagomar says:
Hill was an all-around better player than Penny. Penny was more spectacular; Hill could do it all.
September 18th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Ian says:
big shot
hahahahah both are 50 greatest lol
comon now
be serious
penny is nothing and not hof grant maybeeeeeee
top 50!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 18th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
JHov says:
Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway hands down!! If he doesn’t get hurt and/or Shaq doesn’t get jealous they win at least 3 rings together! Hardaway has done some things on a basketball court I have yet to see repeated!
September 18th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Blk Caesar says:
Penny was an extremely exciting player to watch, but if we are talking about overall Grant Hill is clearly the better player.. Alot of guys on here are saying watching Penny got them into ball and that’s probably why he is your pick, but I watched both in college and in the pros.. Penny was a lot of fun to watch and truly talented, but Grant Hill before the first injury slowed him down was an incredible player.. He carried that Duke team to the National title game against Arkansas and he carried that Detroit team with a much older Joe Dumars, Lindsey Hunter, Terry Mills, etc.. Let’s not forget he had hops too. That one-handed lob catch at Duke. Injuries got the better of both, but Grant gets the nod here (however, Penny is not far behind at all).
September 18th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
RENO says:
The reason why Hills numbers didn’t go up in the playoffs was because he was already doing EVERYTHING for the pistons. It’s hard to produce more if your already maxed out. Not knocking Penny at all. Money was nice, no doubt, but Penny had more help. He wasn’t even the number one option on his team. Hill was the better all around basketball player… IMO.
September 18th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
blah says:
i can tell how young a lot of you are.
Penny was my second jersey (reggie miller was first), and the only guy (other than my man nique) i went out and specifically bought his rookie card. It was between him and iverson, I chose penny. That’s how good he was.
That being said, grant hill was THE SHIT. That dude was good for 30-8-8 on an off night, and the modern day walking triple double before kidd. His offensive skills were on par if not better than kidd’s passing skills. Out of the two, penny was dat dude, i even have his ‘95 penny’s in my closet, but who was better in their prime? Grant hill wins easy.
Best players overall since ‘95, picking a single year, He would seriously have to be top 5. MJ, Kobe, Lebron, MAYBE Iverson, I dunno who else i’d put above him. Seriously. I think alot of people don’t remember, just like a lot of people don’t remember how nice MJ’s handle was in the 80’s and how quick he was.
September 18th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Jim says:
Grant Hill, no doubt.
September 18th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
HATE08 says:
Well I must say Grant Hill for sure. Hill was a good all around player. Penny not so much and he was feeding off of Shaq’s plate when Shaq was there. for all those who choose Penny over Grant should have your internet privileges taken away.
BARACK OHATEAH FOR PRESIDENT!!!!
HATE FOR ‘08
September 18th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Jah says:
I’m voting for Grant Hill.
September 18th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
SparkyJay23 says:
Grant Hill for sure - as said before he was a triple double waiting to happen and was Lebron with touch rather than brute force but penny had the TEAM. When they got swept by the rockets talk was were they the best starting 5 to ever reach the finals. If nick doesn’t choke on the line who knows what might have happened.Props to both these guys though - don’t forget these cats played while you could still lay hands on a playa
September 18th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
yoda says:
wow, this is as close as it gets. i really don’t know can you find two players who are harder to compare, who is better. i loved penny, but respected hill. and i really can’t say who is better, because ill change my mind 5 minutes latter :S
September 18th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Big North says:
No matter who wins this debate, these guys make it look like Big Daddy Kane wrote that joint knowing a video like this was gonna get posted 20 years after teh fact. Damn, lemme say somethign to hide my age a bit: Ay Bay Bay, A Bay Bay!!!
September 18th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Nyeme says:
Grant Hill was the far superior player. He didn’t have the jumper that Penny had, but Grant was a better slasher, better rebounder, I think he was a better passer and was unguardable. Even with all the injuries he still at damn near 20 6 & 5 for his career. Dude came back after 4 failed attempts and still dropped 20ppg. Remember how he would just blow past whoever was guarding him and dunk on whoever was around the rim?
September 19th, 2008 at 3:07 am
j-Ho says:
MJ picked out Penny to be his successor, right. I just have to remind you guys that MJ drafted the worst no.1 pick ever for the Wizards.. Kwame Brown. Think about that…
Grant and Penny will always be amazing to watch, I wish they could have lasted at least 5yrs more into their prime
September 19th, 2008 at 3:43 am
karan says:
two of my fav players of all time…
but got to say: hill is much better… he would’ve been top 5 SFs of all time if he hadnt been injured
September 19th, 2008 at 4:55 am
Magnifico says:
Penny for me… better game. Even way better Nike shoes (with # 1 at the back) than Grant’s Filas.
September 19th, 2008 at 6:07 am
yo says:
grant hill for sure. dude could get by anyone on the perimeter. it was amazing watching him just blow by people so effortlessly with his crossover. and he definitely had the more complete game. i’m surprised no-one talked about hill’s defense. the video highlights show some of it. great great player in his prime.
September 19th, 2008 at 7:11 am
sosa says:
lets call it a draw!
September 19th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Dutch says:
Offensively, its Penny. No doubt.
But, Grant was more complete (rebounding, defense)
September 19th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
tealish says:
First few commenters are crazy. Grant Hill, without a doubt. Penny had flash and style, but Hill in his prime was a legit successor to MJ.
September 20th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
johnny says:
I don’t know who is better. But, I watched Grant a lot.
He could’ve had many more triple-doubles if him and coach wanted it. He would sit the end of games when he was so close.
My favorite G memory is when Zo got angry and threw him on the ground. Then (I think the very next possession) G dunked on him when they were both outside the paint.
September 20th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
johnny says:
Grant’s last season in Detroit was one of the best shooting seasons from anybody ever. He wasn’t a great shooter until that year. For at least 2/3 of the season, Grant was crazy and then he played thru injury and went to Orlando as a shell of his old self.
September 21st, 2008 at 6:25 pm
da bulls says:
They both were fuckin problems for the whole league and were to be kobe & lebron of the league beforfe kobe & lebron. I have to go with penny because he was giving the bulls and mike/pippen fits in the playoffs and even beat the bulls which is crazy. Penny was in the league less than 4yrs doing that. Dont forget penny carried his team in the playoffs when shaq. U guys must have forgot the back to back 40 pt games vs miami. Im going with penny,