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Anfernee Hardaway Biography
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 Despite numerous injuries in his 10-year career, Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway is still one of the best all-around players in the game and is looking to regain his All-NBA form... The 6-7, 215-pound guard, now in his fifth season with the Suns, was projected for NBA glory from the time he was a high school star in Memphis. As early as his sophomore season at Memphis State, Hardaway's game was so polished and his skills so diverse that he was hailed as the second coming of Magic Johnson. And by his junior year, the Tennessee native was a consensus First Team All-American and a two-time Great Midwest Conference Player of the Year... When Penny announced he would pass up his senior season to enter the '93 NBA Draft, he became one of the most coveted prospects in the land. Although selected by Golden State, Hardaway landed in Orlando after one of the biggest draft-day trades in NBA history... Having won the draft lottery for the second season in a row, the Magic selected Chris Webber with the first overall pick. Next up, the Philadelphia 76ers took Shawn Bradley at No. 2, and then the Warriors claimed Hardaway at No. 3. But the Warriors were looking for a big man and the Magic were looking for a backcourt complement to Shaquille O'Neal, the top pick in '92. As a result, Orlando traded Webber's rights to Golden State for the rights to Hardaway and three future first-round draft choices... In an effort to ease Hardaway's adjustment to playing point guard in the NBA, then-Magic coach Brian Hill started him at off guard for the first half of his rookie season. Hill eventually moved the Penny to the point in place of former Suns Head Coach Scott Skiles, and the 21-year-old nearly won Rookie of the Year honors... From there, Hardaway emerged as one of the league's elite players, earning All-NBA First Team honors in only his second season as the Magic advanced to the NBA Finals, and making four-straight All-Star appearances (1995-98). He also won an Olympic gold medal as a member of the '96 Dream Team in Atlanta .. The '96-97 and '97-98 seasons weren't quite as memorable for Hardaway, however, as a knee injury sidelined him for a combined 84 games. He would return and play the full 50-game season in '98-99, though it would be his last in Orlando... Exercising an option to become a free agent during the summer of '99, Hardaway was pursued by several teams and recruited heavily by the Suns. He eventually chose to sign with Phoenix and, rather than lose him without compensation, the Magic agreed to a sign-and-trade deal on Aug. 5, '99... In joining the Suns, Hardaway was paired up with Jason Kidd in what many expected to become one of the NBA's all-time guard tandems. Unfortunately, injuries to both All-Stars prevented "Backcourt 2000" from ever reaching its full potential... In 2001-02 a healthy Hardaway was teamed up with another exciting playmaker in Stephon Marbury, who was traded for Kidd during the summer of '01... This past season Hardaway played a key component in the Suns' surprising playoff run and his veteran leadership, and steadying influence will prove to be invaluable to a young and up-and-coming Suns team. |
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