Penny Hardaway

Anfernee Deon “Penny” Hardaway was born on July 18, 1971, in Memphis, Tennessee. Raised by his grandmother, he excelled in high school basketball at Treadwell High School, where he averaged 36.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 3.9 steals, and 2.8 blocks as a senior and finished his high school career with 3,039 points. He was named the Parade Magazine National High School Player of the Year. Hardaway attended Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis) but had to sit out his freshman year due to academic ineligibility. During this period, he was shot in the foot during a robbery, an injury that could have ended his career. He persevered, returned to school, made the Dean’s List, and went on to have a remarkable college career, averaging 22.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 6.4 assists in his junior year (1992-93). His jersey number 25 was retired by Memphis. He was a Consensus first-team All-American in 1993.

Hardaway was drafted third overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 1993 NBA Draft but was immediately traded to the Orlando Magic. He quickly made an impact, earning NBA All-Rookie First Team honors in his debut season (1993-94) where he averaged 16.0 points, 6.6 assists, and 5.4 rebounds. He helped the Magic to their first playoff berth and a 50-win season. The following season (1994-95), he became an NBA All-Star starter and an All-NBA First Team selection, leading the Magic alongside Shaquille O’Neal to the NBA Finals. He maintained this elite performance in the 1995-96 season, again named to the All-NBA First Team and finishing third in MVP voting, averaging 21.7 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.3 rebounds. He also secured a gold medal with the 1996 US Olympic Games Basketball Team.

After six seasons with the Orlando Magic, Hardaway moved to the Phoenix Suns in 1999, followed by stints with the New York Knicks (2004-2006) and the Miami Heat (2007). His professional playing career spanned 14 seasons, and he holds career averages of 15.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. Following his playing career, Hardaway transitioned to coaching. He coached Lester Middle School to a West Tennessee State title and was hired as the head coach for his alma mater, the Memphis Tigers, on March 19, 2018. Under his leadership, the Tigers secured the number one recruiting class in the country in 2019, won the NIT in 2021, and an American Athletic Conference regular season championship in 2025. Hardaway received his first Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame nomination in December 2023.