Penny Hardaway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Penny Hardaway

Hardaway in 2023
Memphis Tigers
Head coach
Personal information
Born	(1971-07-18) July 18, 1971 (age 54) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
High school	Treadwell (Memphis, Tennessee)
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight	215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
College	Memphis (1991–1993)
NBA Draft	1993 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the Golden State Warriors
Pro career	1993–2007
Coaching career	2015–present
League	American Athletic Conference
Career history
As player:
1993–1999	Orlando Magic
1999–2004	Phoenix Suns
2004–2006	New York Knicks
2007	Miami Heat
As coach:
2015–2017	East HS (assistant)
2017–2018	East HS
2018–present	Memphis
Career highlights and awards
As player: 4× NBA All-Star (1995–1998) 2× All-NBA First Team (1995, 1996) All-NBA Third Team (1997) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1994) Consensus first-team All-American (1993) 2× Great Midwest Player of the Year (1992, 1993) No. 25 retired by Memphis Tigers First-team Parade All-American (1990) As coach: NIT champion (2021) 2× AAC tournament champion (2023, 2025) AAC regular season champion (2025) AAC Coach of the Year (2025)
Career NBA statistics
Points	10,684 (15.2 ppg)
Rebounds	3,146 (4.5 rpg)
Assists	3,525 (5.0 apg)
Medals Men's basketball Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 1996 Atlanta Team competition

Anfernee Deon "Penny" Hardaway (born July 18, 1971) is a famous American basketball coach and former professional player. He is currently the head coach for the Memphis Tigers men's team. Penny played college basketball at Memphis. He then played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

During his time in the NBA, Penny was a four-time NBA All-Star. He was also named to the All-NBA Team three times while playing for the Orlando Magic. He also played for the Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, and the Miami Heat.

Penny Hardaway's Early Life

Penny Hardaway was born in Memphis, Tennessee. His mother, Fae Hardaway, named him Anfernee. When his mother moved away for work, Penny was raised by his grandmother, Louise. His grandmother used to call him "Pretty" with a Southern accent. This sounded like "Penny," and the nickname stuck!

Penny's first love was football. However, his grandmother wanted him to stay safe. So, he focused on basketball instead. As a teenager, he helped referee youth sports at the Memphis YMCA. He also played on their Jr. Olympic basketball team.

High School Basketball Career

Penny grew up playing basketball for Treadwell High School in Memphis. In his senior year, he was amazing on the court. He averaged 36.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game. He was named the Parade Magazine National High School Player of the Year. Penny finished his high school career with an impressive 3,039 points.

College Basketball Journey

Penny went to Memphis State University, which is now the University of Memphis. He could not play his first year (1990–91) for the Memphis State Tigers. This was due to academic rules. He worked hard to improve his grades.

During this time, Penny faced a challenge. He was shot in the foot by accident during a robbery. This put his basketball future at risk. But he recovered and returned to school. He even made the Dean's List that year!

In the summer of 1992, Penny joined the USA Basketball Developmental Team. This team practiced against the famous 1992 Olympic "Dream Team". He played with future NBA stars like Chris Webber and Grant Hill.

For his junior season (1992–93), Penny played even better. He averaged 22.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game. He was again named an All-American. He was also a finalist for top college player awards. Penny decided to leave college early for the NBA draft. In 1994, Memphis State honored him by retiring his jersey number, 25. He later returned to the University of Memphis in 2003 and earned his bachelor's degree.

Professional Basketball Career

Playing for the Orlando Magic (1993–1999)

Becoming an All-Rookie Player (1993–94)

The Golden State Warriors picked Penny third overall in the 1993 NBA draft. But he was soon traded to the Orlando Magic. The Magic wanted him to play alongside star player Shaquille O'Neal. Penny quickly made a big impact. He helped the Magic reach the playoffs for the first time. He averaged 16 points, 6.6 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

First All-Star Game and NBA Finals (1994–95)

In the 1994–95 NBA season, the Magic had a record-breaking 57 wins. Penny averaged 20.9 points and 7.2 assists per game. He was chosen to start in his first NBA All-Star Game. He was also named to the All-NBA First Team. Penny and Shaquille O'Neal led the Magic to the NBA Finals. They played against the Houston Rockets. Even though they lost, Penny played great, averaging 25.5 points in the series.

Second All-NBA First Team Selection (1995–96)

At the start of the 1995–96 NBA season, Shaquille O'Neal was injured. Penny stepped up and led the Magic to a strong start. He was named NBA Player of the Month. He started in the NBA All-Star Game for the second year in a row. The Magic won a franchise record 60 games. Penny was named to the All-NBA First Team again. He finished third in the voting for the league's MVP award. The Magic's playoff run ended against the Chicago Bulls.

Penny later shared that he had a serious knee injury in a 1996 playoff game. He played through the pain. He had surgery after the season. He felt the injury affected his speed and jumping ability.

Olympic Gold Medal and Team Leader (1996–97)

In the summer of 1996, Penny played for the US Olympic Basketball Team. They won a gold medal! Penny averaged 9 points and 4.4 assists in the games. He scored 17 points in the gold medal game against Yugoslavia.

After O'Neal left the Magic, Penny became the team's main star. He battled injuries during the 1996–97 NBA season. Still, he was named an All-Star starter for the third time. He averaged 20.5 points and 5.6 assists per game. The Magic made the playoffs. In one playoff series, Penny scored 42 points in Game 3 and 41 points in Game 4. This was an amazing achievement!

Knee Injury and Final Season in Orlando (1997–99)

Penny suffered a serious left knee injury early in the 1997–98 NBA season. He needed surgery and missed most of the season. Even with the injury, fans voted him to start the NBA All-Star Game for the fourth year. He played only 19 games that season.

Penny returned for the 1998–99 NBA season. He played in all 50 games and helped the Magic have one of the best records in the Eastern Conference. He averaged 15.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. After this season, Penny decided to leave the Magic. He had played 369 regular season games for Orlando. He averaged 19 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game.

Time with the Phoenix Suns (1999–2004)

Penny joined the Phoenix Suns in 1999. He teamed up with fellow All-Star guard Jason Kidd. Injuries to both players meant they didn't play many games together. Penny averaged 16.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in 60 games. The Suns made the playoffs. Penny helped them win their first-round series. They then lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Penny faced more knee injuries in the 2000–01 NBA season. He missed almost the entire season. He returned healthy for the 2001–02 NBA season. The Suns traded Jason Kidd for Stephon Marbury. Penny averaged 12 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists that season.

In the 2002–03 NBA season, Penny often came off the bench. His experience helped the young Suns team. He missed some games with a hand injury. He finished the season averaging 10.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. The Suns played well in the playoffs but lost to the San Antonio Spurs.

In the 2003–04 NBA season, Penny was traded from the Suns. He had played 236 regular season games for Phoenix. He averaged 12.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists.

Playing for the New York Knicks (2004–2006)

Hardaway with the Knicks in 2005

On January 6, 2004, Penny was traded to the New York Knicks. He joined Stephon Marbury again. They helped the Knicks reach the 2004 NBA Playoffs. Penny averaged 9.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 42 games with the Knicks. In the playoffs, the Knicks lost in the first round. Penny led the Knicks in scoring in two playoff games.

Penny struggled with injuries during the 2004–05 NBA season. He played in 37 games, averaging 7.3 points. He played only four games for the Knicks in the 2005–06 NBA season. This was due to ongoing knee problems. In February 2006, Penny was traded back to Orlando. The Magic then released him a few days later.

Short Time with the Miami Heat (2007)

On August 9, 2007, Penny signed with the Miami Heat. This reunited him with his former teammate Shaquille O'Neal. Penny had not played in an NBA game for almost two years. He wore jersey number 7, which was new for him. On December 12, 2007, the Heat released him. He played in 16 games, averaging 3.8 points.

Coaching Career

In 2011, Penny started coaching his middle school alma mater, Lester Middle School. He helped his friend Desmond Merriweather, who was getting cancer treatment. Penny wanted his players to go to college. He made a tutoring program mandatory for them. He led the Lester Lions to a state title.

Coaching the Memphis Tigers (2018–Present)

Hardaway (right) with Memphis during a game in 2025

Penny Hardaway became the head coach for his college team, the Memphis Tigers, on March 19, 2018. In his first year, he led the Tigers to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). He also brought in some of the best high school players in the country.

In 2021, Penny led Memphis to win the NIT championship. In 2023, he led Memphis to an American Athletic Conference championship. They also earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament. In the 2024-2025 season, Penny led Memphis to win the American Athletic Conference regular season championship.

Television and Film Appearances

Before he was drafted into the NBA, Penny acted in the college basketball movie Blue Chips (1994). He played a college freshman on a basketball team.

In the 1990s, Penny was famous for the "Lil Penny" advertising campaign for Nike. This featured a puppet version of Penny, voiced by comedian Chris Rock.

Penny was also featured in an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary called This Magic Moment (2016). This film was about the Orlando Magic teams he played on with Shaquille O'Neal. He was also interviewed in the 2025 HBO MAX documentary We Beat The Dream Team.

Other Activities and Interests

Penny Hardaway earned a lot of money during his basketball career. He owns a barbershop and beauty salon in Memphis. He also has a turf business in Miami.

Penny is known for helping sports in Memphis. In 2010, he helped bring back the Bluff City Classic. This is a summer basketball league for college, professional, and high school players. He also helped fund the University of Memphis Sports Hall of Fame. In 2011, Penny announced plans for a large multi-sports facility. This facility would support many sports and help the local economy.

In 2012, Penny became part of a group that bought a small share of the Memphis Grizzlies basketball team. This group included famous people like Peyton Manning and Justin Timberlake.

Personal Life

Penny Hardaway has two sons, Jayden and Ashton. Both of his sons play basketball for him at Memphis. He also has two daughters and another son.

Penny is a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. In December 2023, Penny was nominated for the first time to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular Season

Playoffs

Head Coaching Record

College

See also

In Spanish: Anfernee Hardaway para niños