Introduction
Penny Hardaway and Shaq were a amazing duo in Orlando. Shaq was on his own from 1992 until 1993, when the Magic traded for Hardaway in the draft, which at the time, people didn’t see as a good move, as they saw Chris Webber and Shaq as twin towers, like Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon in the 80s. But, they wanted Shaq to be the dominant one. Still, Hardaway wasn’t considered to be a great player. They went along well, Hardaway feeding Shaq in the post. If Shaq wasn’t open, Hardaway can drive to the Hoop, or pull up for a Mid Range Jump Shot. Now, they weren’t deadly as Kobe and Shaq. Penny Hardaway wasn’t ever good as Kobe in his prime. He was closer to Dwayne Wade/D-Rose. Which is still fantastic. The Magic got to the Finals quick after the chemistry was great with Shaq and Penny Hardaway, getting there in the 1994-1995 Season. They lost to the Veteran Houston Rockets, led by Hakeem Olajuwon. In the 1996 Off-Season, Shaquille O’Neal left the Magic to go to the Los Angeles Lakers. And, Hardaway was on his own. And was never the same as he was when Shaq was there. He did make 2 or 3 All-Stars, but he was especially not the same once he left the Magic. The Magic didn’t do too well either. They didn’t do good until Dwight Howard came years later.
Penny Hardaway
I am going to give a summary of Penny’s and Shaq’s Career/Life before the Magic.
Hardaway was raised by his grandmother while his mother was working. The first thing Hardaway loved was Football, not Basketball 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. Hardaway grew up playing basketball in Memphis for Treadwell High School where he averaged 36.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 3.9 steals, and 2.8 blocks as a senior and was named Parade Magazine National High School player of the year. He finished his high school career with 3,039 points. Hardaway then committed to Memphis State University (now known as the University of Memphis since 1994). He was a legend in Highschool. Arguably one of the best High School Basketball Players of all time. So, he committed to Memphis University, where later a player that has a similar player to Hardaway went, Derrick Rose. Hardaways first year at Memphis, he was ruled Acedemically Ineligible, because of his Because of his grades in Highschool. In the summer of 1992 Hardaway was selected to the 1992 USA Basketball Developmental Team that scrimmaged daily against the 1992 Olympic Team. Hardaway was teammates with Chris Webber, Bobby Hurley, Jamal Mashburn, Rodney Rogers, Eric Montross, Grant Hill, and Allan Houston. Even with that, Hardaway still hasn’t broke out. He wasn’t a Top 3 Pick talent, not alot of scouts knew him. So, he would have to break out. Which is exactly what he did. He averaged 22.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 6.4 apg, 2.4 spg, and 1.2 bpg. He had two triple doubles. He was again named an All-American. He also was a finalist for the Naismith College Player of the Yearand the John R. Wooden Award that are annually given the most outstanding player in college basketball. So, he really broke out. After his suspension because of his grades, he rebounded back, and got a 3.4 GPA in his Junior year. He decided to not go on to his Senior Season, and declar for the 1993 NBA Draft.
Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal traveled A lot in his Childhood, as his Step Father was in the Military. He was raised by his Mother, and Step Father, and lived the Majority of his Childhood in New Jersey, which wasn’t much.
At Robert G. Cole High School in San Antonio, Texas, O’Neal led his team to a 68–1 record over two years and helped the team win the state championship during his senior year. His 791 rebounds during the 1989 season remains a state record for a player in any classification. O’Neal’s tendency to make hook shots earned comparisons to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, inspiring him to wear the same jersey number as Abdul-Jabbar, 33. However, jersey number 33 is not available for high school basketball players, so O’Neal chose to wear 32 before college.
In 2014, he was named one of the 35 Best Highschool Basketball McDonalds All-Americans. He is considered the best Highschool Basketball Player in the state of Texas. After graduating High School, Shaquille O’Neal signed a Scholarship to Louisiana State University. But, Shaq had been thinking about going there for a long time. He had first met Dale Brown, LSU’s men’s basketball coach, years earlier in Europe. O’Neal’s stepfather was stationed on a U.S. Army base at Wildflecken, West Germany. Not only was he considered one of the best High School Basketball Players, but also One of the best College Basketball Players. He was a Two Time All-American at LSU, two-time SEC Player of the Year, and received the Adolph Rupp Trophy as NCAA men’s basketball player of the year in 1991; he was also named college player of the year by APand UPI. Shaq wanted to stay all 4 Years, and Graduate, but the other College Basketball Players, were Double Team, triple Teaming him, and if he played longer, it may have hurt his Draft Stock.
1993: First Year Together
Shaq dominated his Rookie Season, averaging 23.9 PPG, 13.9 RPG, and 3.4 BPG. He also had a astonishing 56 Field Goal Percetange. Even though he was a Center, it was still a amazing stat line. Many can argue Alonzo Mourning should have won Rookie Of The Year, that Shaq won because he was more popular, Charismatic, etc. I think Alonzo Mourning deserved it. His team was the team that made the Play Offs. Anyways, came the 1993 NBA Draft Lottery. Not the Draft, but the Lottery. The Magic had the least amount of Percetage to win the Lottery, so the odds weren’t so high. Somehow, some way, they got the #1 Overall pick. And everyone knew who they would pick. Or so they thought... Everyone thought Shaq and Chris Webber would work perfect together. But, Shaq was the star of the Magic, and they didn’t want Chris Webber to take over his role. So, they did draft Chris Webber. And immediately traded him once the Kings drafted Hardaway. It was already a plan. Chris Webber, or Penny Hardaway didn’t know that. So, came the first year with Penny and Shaq together. The Orlando Magic became surprisingly dominant, as no one saw it coming. They went 50-32, getting the Fourth Seed in the Tough Eastern Conference. Shaq improved tremendously, as he averaged 29.3 PPG, and around the same amount of Rebounds and Blocks. But, he went from around 23 PPG, to nearly 30. He had no Sophomore Slump. Penny Hardaway averaged 16.0 PPG as a Rookie, didn’t quite win Rookie Of The Year, as Chris Webber did, as Magic fans were slightly regretting the Magic’s Front Office Decison. But, they wouldn’t have to wait much longer. The Magic did make the Play Offs, unfortunately, they got swept by the Pacers in the First Round. It looked like a Good Future though.
Becoming One Of The Best Teams In The East
That Off-Season, the Magic got a key player, signing former Bull Horace Grant, who would bring some Play-Off experience to the team. The Magic went 57-27, best in the East. Shaq had the same exact points averaged 29.3 PPG again. And of course around the same RPG, and BPG. Penny Hardaway improved a little, averaged 20.3 PPG. But, that combined, is around 50 PPG. That is a big duo. Hardaway also averaged 7.2 APG, which most of the assists went to Shaq. In the Play-Offs, the Magic defeated the Boston Celtics, Bulls, and the Indiana Pacers. The Bulls series was a entertaining one, with Horace Grant facing his old team. It was no match, with Michael Jordan playing Minor League Baseball. The Magic became the Fastest Team ever to make it to the NBA Finals. They faced the Houston Rockets, who hadn’t made the Finals in a while, since the Larry Bird and Magic Johnson era. Unfortunately, the Rockets sweeped the Magic, 4-0. Even though they were close games. Again, the future was looking great. The Magic were still young.
The Last year
They didn’t know it yet, but this was Shaq’s last year with the Magic. The Magic were again one of the best teams in the East. They went 60-22, but it wasn’t enough to have the Number 1 Seed in the East. As the 72-10 Bulls did. It was a slight setback for Shaq, as he averaged 26.6 PPG. Where really, that isn’t much of a debate. Penny Hardaway averaged his Career high in points, with 21.2. the playoffs, after the Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks, Orlando met the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals. Well, of course you know the Bulls won the Finals. The combination of Jordan, Scottie Pippenand rebounder Dennis Rodman was too much for the Magic, and Orlando was swept 4–0. By this time, people were thinking, can Shaq win? He was entering his prime, and they weren’t that sure. So, Shaq left of course, it was announced that O’Neal would join the Los Angeles Lakers on a seven-year, $121 million contract. And the Magic fans were devastated, and Hardaway was furious.
Conclusion
It was over. Penny Hardaway was never the same player, and Shaq was even better. Years later, they reunited as Teammates, when they were both on the Magic. It was not the same relationship they had when they were on the Magic. Because, Penny was upset, and it was just awkward. Shaq made the Hall Of Fame, and Hardaway probably never will. Just imagine the possibilities if Shaq stayed? We will never know.
