When Penny Hardaway joined forces with Jason Kidd to form a solid backcourt duo for the Phoenix Suns in the 1999-00 season, skeptics questioned the former's ability to be a reliable No. 2 co-star to Kidd, who led the league in assists and earned All-NBA and All-Defensive First Team honors a year prior. This doubt stemmed from rumors of Penny's alleged jealousy towards Shaquille O'Neal during their time together on the Orlando Magic.
While the Tennesse native averaged 16.9 points, 5.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per game (all second-best on the team), his resurgence to his veteran form in the playoffs truly shone. After believing that his performance has shunned his critics in the two playoff series that the Suns played, the 6'7" guard subtly credited his success to Kidd's injury in the postseason, as he finally got a chance to be the focal point of the team's offense.
Penny on Kidd's injury in the '99-00 season
As J-Kidd led the league in assists for the second consecutive in the '99-00 season, it wasn't surprising that the Suns' offense ran through him. However, the 10-time All-Star suffered a devastating ankle injury towards the end of the regular season. Many believed the Suns would be no match against David Robinson-led San Antonio Spurs without Kidd.
In that moment of adversity, Hardaway stepped up, averaging a team-best 19 points across the four games, propelling Phoenix into the second round.
Similarly, even the Suns' second-round series against Shaq and Kobe-led Lakers was expected to be a one-sided affair. However, games 2 and 3 were closely contested, with a mere 3.5 point-differential separating the two teams. Though the Purple and Gold closed out the series in five games, Hardaway was the team's driving force, averaging 21.4 points, 5.6 assists, and 1.4 steals while playing a team-high 41.2 minutes per contest. With him finally being able to get back to his usual standards, Penny believed the fact that he ran the team's offense through him, he had more chances to grab the spotlight
"Everything runs through Jason - that's why he's out all-everything because everything ran through him. So, when I got into his position, I started to shine," Hardaway told SLAM. "It's like with Jason going down, I took over his role, and I did similar things. It made me look really good. That's no knock on Jason. I just had more opportunities to do what I could do."
Suns' believed the sky was the limit for them with Penny in the form
Observing Hardaway's newfound confidence and the return of his flamboyant style that once defined his Orlando days, Kidd became convinced that if the 6'7" guard could maintain this exceptional form, the Suns had a clear path to the ultimate prize.
"I think with us healthy, the sky is the limit," Kidd said. "We both can make each other better, and we both make this team better… It makes the load a lot lighter, and it makes the game so much easier."
In the 45 games where Jason and Penny took the court together, they led the Suns to victories in 33 contests. Their ability to co-exist impressed General Manager and President Bryan Colangelo to believe that the tandem of 'Backcourt 2000' offered a tantalizing preview of their potential as one the league's premier duo.
Moreover, Colangelo believed that if the duo spent more time on the court together, the following season could be a special one.
"It's unfortunate and he and Jason never had a good opportunity to gel, but you coils see the team develop its ultimate personality, either Jason or Penny were leading the team," he said. "Hopefully… we'll have the opportunity to see some of what we're anticipating."
That being said, the 99-00 campaign raised the expectations of Bryan, Kidd, and even Penny. However, their hopes were dashed early in the following season when the four-time All-Star picked up an injury and was compelled to undergo microfracture surgery that effectively ruled him out for the rest of the campaign.
Though Phoenix had the second-best defensive rating in the regular season, they were no match to the Sacramento Kings in the first-round series, losing 3-1 in Penny's absence.
Related: "An emotional kid just being spoiled" - Penny Hardaway admits to being immature during his time with the Magic
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