2024-01-14 10:16:17
Hardaway has been eligible for selection for more than a decade, but this is the first time he has been included on the shortlist, which to some extent shows that he has little hope of being officially selected. However, perhaps no one has ever seriously thought regarding this matter-might Anfernee Hardaway be the Gale Sayers of basketball?
Anfernee Hardaway played 704 games and had an almost miraculous career that spanned 14 seasons. Those who know Anfernee Hardaway, those who were lucky enough to experience Anfernee Hardaway’s career, and those who witnessed Anfernee Hardaway at his peak can all tell that Anfernee Hardaway was not the real person for more than half of his career.
Anyone who has looked at his career numbers can tell the difference.
Nicknamed “Penny” Hardaway averaged 20.9 points and 7.2 assists in his second season, and teamed up with Shaquille O’Neal to lead the Magic to the 1995 NBA Finals.
Then, he averaged 21.7 points and 7.1 assists in his third season. The Magic also won 60 games that year, but were swept by the Bulls in the conference finals. In his fourth year, he also averaged 20.5 points and 5.6 assists per game. After Shaq moved to the Lakers, his scoring average increased to 31 points in the series loss once morest the Heat.
Then Penny’s career peak came to an end.
Will this fleeting moment of brilliance get him into the Hall of Fame?
At the end of December last year, Hardaway was selected as a candidate for the 2024 Hall of Fame. The finalists will be announced during the NBA All-Star Weekend in February, and the official 2024 roster will be announced at the NCAA Final Four in April, and will be officially inducted into the Hall of Fame at the annual ceremony in August.
Hardaway has been eligible for selection for more than a decade, but this is the first time he has been included on the shortlist, which to some extent shows that he has little hope of being officially selected. However, perhaps no one has ever seriously thought regarding this matter-might Anfernee Hardaway be the Gale Sayers of basketball?
Sayers has only played five full seasons in his NFL career and only has seven career seasons. His career total running yards are 4,956, ranking 160th in NFL history, slightly behind Greg Bell and ahead of Dorsey Levens.
Before he seriously injured his knee, everyone who saw him play thought they were seeing a player with a chance to touch “greatness.” He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977, six years following playing his final game with the Chicago Bears.
Hardaway’s situation may well fit into Sayers’ mold.
Hardaway was a force in the NBA and its culture, and Nike used his appeal to create a popular campaign — creating a character called “Lil Penny,” voiced by comedian Chris Rock.
Hardaway is also one of the most creative passers of all time. In his second and third seasons, Hardaway was selected to the All-NBA team ahead of teammate Shaq and veterans such as Gary Payton, Charles Barkley, John Stockton and Mitch Richmond. The main reason, and all of these players are in the Hall of Fame.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Richmond was never even named to an All-NBA team, but was a six-time All-Star and scored more than 20,000 career points, while Hardaway had just over half of his total.
However, Hardaway had a seemingly minor collision with a Pistons player during the 1996 playoffs, but that apparently led to knee problems that were not apparent at the time and did not fully surface until much later. He made it through the playoffs and even won an Olympic gold medal with the U.S. national team in 1996. But then his knee problems gradually worsened and he had to undergo surgery. He once said that following the surgery, he never felt the same once more.
Hardaway never averaged 20 points per game or more than 7 assists per game; he never played in 80 games or participated in the NBA All-Star Game once more. He would appear in just 23 playoff games for the rest of his career, fewer than he had played in his first three seasons.
His injuries have left him almost unrecognizable as a player, but people should still be able to clearly see his past self.
Hardaway averaged 20.0 points and 5.9 assists per game in college. He participated in the NCAA tournament twice with the Memphis Tigers, one of which advanced to the quarterfinals. Now, he is in his sixth season as the head coach of his alma mater.
In February 1993, towards the end of his final college season, there’s a particular story, a stunning moment that illustrates his ability that, while less impactful, may be more important than Christian Laettner’s win over Kentucky. That one was even more shocking.
At that time, Hardaway’s teammate Billy Smith was standing at the free throw line, and Hardaway was standing on the right side, between the two opponents. Smith’s free throw hit the backboard and bounced to the left, and Hardaway rushed to knock the ball away from an opponent trying to grab the rebound. The ball rolled toward the free throw line, and following a scramble, Hardaway somehow had the ball in his lap, his legs directly in front of him and pointing toward the basket at the other end of the court.
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