Anfernee Hardaway had the best years of his basketball career in Orlando when he played with Shaquille O'Neal .
Penny was the third overall pick of the 1993 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors but was traded on draft night to the Orlando Magic, who wanted to pair him up with Shaq. Immediately, the two hit it off, leading the Magic to unprecedented success.
Hardaway was O'Neal's guest during the latest episode of The Big Podcast, and the former teammates exchanged compliments on the show. Penny then revealed his mindset, which made their tandem work.
"The biggest thing, Eric Thomas said this, and it just resonated with me," said the guard. "He said don't think about the obligation, think about the opportunity."
When Penny met Shaq
Hardaway and O'Neal first met on the set of the movie Blue Chips. According to Anfernee, he was on that set not only to apply for a movie role but also to audition for a spot on the Magic roster. After impressing Shaquille during the filming of the movie, 'The Diesel' then muscled the Magic into drafting the Memphis star.
The Magic made their first-ever playoff appearance during Hardaway's rookie season. The following year, they went all the way to the 1995 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Houston Rockets. Suddenly, Orlando looked like the next big thing, as Penny and Shaq appeared to be destined for greatness.
"I knew what I had in you," added Anfernee. "You were the best that I ever played with. You pushed me to the highest level. Whatever I had in me, you brought more out every single night. You never settled for mediocrity. You're always about being the greatest and the best from when you stepped in and when I stepped into the locker room."
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Shaq said Penny could have been an all-time great
Unfortunately, their rise was halted when Hardaway suffered a series of injuries that altered the trajectory of his career. However, while Anfernee hobbled the rest of his career, O'Neal said he was Kobe before Kobe and would have been one of the all-time greats if he didn't get injured.
"If Penny didn't get hurt, he would have been one of the top 3 players in the history of the game. Penny came in like that. It took Kobe two, maybe two and a half years to get to that level. Penny came in, he was already like that. First-year he came, we went to the finals. Penny was cold. That's why I tell people he was Kobe before Kobe. People give me flak like that and say he couldn't have turned out, but if he wouldn't have gotten injured, he would definitely be up there, definitely," declared O'Neal.
Shaq ended up winning four championships in his career, while Penny never tasted a single NBA title. However, both agree that had they stayed together and if Hardaway hadn't gotten hurt, they would have won multiple rings. Unfortunately, that's just one of the 'what ifs' that we will always talk about.
Related: "I blame myself for us not getting that first championship" - Shaq admits he blew Orlando's chances in the 1995 Finals due to excessive pre-celebration
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