The NBA Forgot How Good Penny Hardaway Was

Penny Hardaway was supposed to become one of the faces of the NBA. The league’s next superstar. The future of the Orlando Magic. The player who would lead a dynasty alongside Shaquille O’Neal. And for one brief, electric moment in the 1990s… it looked like he actually would. But before Penny Hardaway could become what basketball thought he would become, he was shot, his body started breaking down, Shaq left Orlando, and one of the most exciting futures in NBA history disappeared almost overnight. This is the story of Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway. From the streets of Binghampton, Memphis to NBA superstardom. From Lil’ Penny and the Air Penny era to devastating injuries and one of basketball’s greatest what ifs. In this documentary, we cover: • The night Penny was shot before reaching the NBA • The draft-day trade that sent him to Orlando • How Penny and Shaq became basketball’s future • The injury that changed everything • The tension that ended Orlando’s dynasty before it began • And how Penny found purpose again back in Memphis If Penny Hardaway stayed healthy would NBA history look completely different? Watch until the end and let me know: Do you blame Penny for Shaq leaving Orlando? Subscribe to Crossover Fadeaway for more stories behind the legends and the moments that got lost in the highlight reels. Chapters: 0:00 The NBA Stole Penny Hardaway's Future 1:12 Before the Injuries, Before the Beef 2:05 How Memphis Made Penny Hardaway 4:12 The Night Penny Was Shot Before the NBA 7:26 The 1993 NBA Draft Trade That Changed Everything 10:33 Penny Mania — Lil' Penny, Air Penny and Chris Rock 13:41 The Shaq and Penny Beef Nobody Talks About 18:12 The Joe Dumars Knee Injury That Ended Everything 19:37 The Forgotten Years 21:06 Penny Hardaway's Memphis Redemption 23:42 What Penny Hardaway Really Means #pennyhardaway #orlandomagic #shaquilleoneal #shaq