Penny Hardaway facts for kids
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Hardaway in 2023
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| Memphis Tigers | ||||||||||||||
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| Head coach | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | July 18, 1971 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| 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:
As coach:
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| Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Points | 10,684 (15.2 ppg) | |||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 3,146 (4.5 rpg) | |||||||||||||
| Assists | 3,525 (5.0 apg) | |||||||||||||
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Medals
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Anfernee Deon "Penny" Hardaway, born on 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 in the American Athletic Conference (AAC). Penny played college basketball at Memphis and spent 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). During his time as a player, he was chosen for the NBA All-Star team four times and was named to the All-NBA Team three times.
Contents
Early Life & Nickname
Penny Hardaway was born in Memphis, Tennessee. His mother, Fae Hardaway, named him Anfernee after a school friend. When Penny was young, his mother moved to Oakland for work. She left him with his grandmother, Louise. His grandmother often called him "Pretty" with a Southern accent, which sounded like "Penny." That's how he got his famous nickname! He wore the number 1 on his jersey because a penny is worth one cent. Penny's first love was football, but his grandmother didn't want him to get hurt. He grew up in the Binghampton neighborhood of Memphis. As a teenager, he even refereed youth sports at the Memphis YMCA. He also played on their Jr. Olympic basketball team.
High School Basketball Star
Penny Hardaway played basketball for Treadwell High School in Memphis. In his senior year, he was amazing! He averaged 36.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 3.9 steals, and 2.8 blocks per game. He was named the Parade Magazine National High School player of the year. By the end of his high school career, he had scored an incredible 3,039 points.
College Career at Memphis
Penny went to Memphis State University, now known as the University of Memphis. He couldn't play his first year (1990–91) for the Memphis State Tigers because of academic rules. His grades were low, but the university president made a special exception for him to attend.
While he was not playing, Penny faced a challenge. He was injured in his foot, which put his basketball career at risk. But he returned to school and worked hard to recover. He even made the Dean's List that year!
In the summer of 1992, Penny was chosen for the 1992 USA Basketball Developmental Team. This team practiced daily against the famous 1992 Olympic "Dream Team". Penny played with future NBA stars like Chris Webber and Grant Hill.
Penny came back strong for his junior season (1992–93). He improved his stats, averaging 22.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 2.4 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game. He also achieved two triple doubles. He was again named an All-American. He was also a finalist for the top college basketball awards, the Naismith College Player of the Year and the John R. Wooden Award.
Penny decided to leave college early for the 1993 NBA Draft, even though he had a good GPA. 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 NBA Career
Orlando Magic (1993–1999)
Penny Hardaway was picked third overall in the 1993 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors. But he was soon traded to the Orlando Magic. The Magic wanted him to play alongside superstar Shaquille O'Neal. Penny had wanted to play with O'Neal too, and he impressed the Magic during a workout before the draft.
Starting Strong: All-Rookie Honors
Penny played point guard in college and was compared to Magic Johnson. In the NBA, he started at shooting guard and learned from veteran Scott Skiles. By mid-season, he became the main point guard. He quickly made a big impact, winning the MVP award at the first-ever Schick Rookie Game. Penny helped the Magic reach the playoffs for the first time and win 50 games. He averaged 16 points, 6.6 assists, and 5.4 rebounds. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie first team.
First All-Star & NBA Finals
During the 1994–95 NBA season, the Magic set a team record with 57 wins. Penny averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 4.4 rebounds. He was chosen to start in his first NBA All-Star Game and was named to the All-NBA First Team. In the playoffs, the Magic beat the Chicago Bulls in the second round. Penny and Shaquille O'Neal led their team to the NBA Finals, but they lost to the Houston Rockets. Even though they lost, Penny played great, averaging 25.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 8 assists in the series.
Another All-NBA First Team Selection
At the start of the 1995–96 NBA season, Shaquille O'Neal was injured. This meant Penny had to score more points. He led the Magic to a great start, winning 17 of their first 22 games. He was named NBA Player of the Month for November. He was also chosen to start in the NBA All-Star Game for the second year in a row. The Magic set another team record with 60 wins. Penny was named to the All-NBA First Team again, averaging 21.7 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.3 rebounds. He finished third in the MVP voting. The Magic's playoff journey ended in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Chicago Bulls.
Penny later shared that he got his first serious knee injury in a 1996 playoff game. He played through the pain but had surgery later. He felt this injury affected his speed and jumping ability.
Olympic Gold Medal & Team Leader
In the summer of 1996, Penny played for the US Olympic Basketball Team. They won a gold medal! Penny averaged 9 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.8 rebounds. He scored 14 points against Brazil and 17 points in the gold medal game against Yugoslavia.
After O'Neal left for the Los Angeles Lakers, Penny became the main star for the Magic in the 1996–97 NBA season. He dealt with injuries but was still chosen to start in the NBA All-Star game for the third time. He averaged 20.5 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.5 rebounds. The Magic made the playoffs. In the first round, they faced the Miami Heat. Penny scored 42 points in Game 3 and 41 points in Game 4, becoming the first NBA player to score 40 points in back-to-back playoff games when his team scored less than 100 points. The Magic lost in Game 5, but Penny finished the playoffs averaging 31 points per game, second only to Michael Jordan.
Knee Injury & Final Season in Orlando
A serious left knee injury early in the 1997–98 NBA season required surgery. Penny missed most of the season. Despite this, he was voted to start the NBA All-Star Game for the fourth year in a row. He played only 19 games that season, averaging 16.4 points.
Penny returned for the shorter 1999 season and played in all 50 games. He helped the Magic tie for the best record in the Eastern Conference. He averaged 15.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. The Magic lost in the first round of the playoffs. This was his last season with Orlando.
In his 369 regular season games with the Magic, Penny averaged 19 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.7 rebounds.
Phoenix Suns (1999–2004)
In 1999, Penny was traded to the Phoenix Suns to play with fellow All-Star guard Jason Kidd. They were called "BackCourt 2000." Injuries kept them from playing many games together. In 60 games, Penny averaged 16.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. The Suns made the playoffs. Jason Kidd was injured, so Penny stepped up. He had a triple-double (17 points, 13 assists, 12 rebounds) in a key Game 3 win against the San Antonio Spurs. The Suns won that series but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the next round.
The 2000–01 NBA season was tough for Penny. Two knee surgeries meant he played in only four games.
He returned healthy for the 2001–02 NBA season and played in 80 games. Jason Kidd was traded, and Stephon Marbury became the new point guard. 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 steady play was important for the young Suns team. He missed 24 games with a hand injury but returned to record another triple-double in April. He averaged 10.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. The Suns gave the San Antonio Spurs a tough fight in the first round of the playoffs.
In January 2004, Penny was traded to the New York Knicks along with Stephon Marbury. He had averaged 8.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 34 games for the Suns that season.
New York Knicks (2004–2006)
Penny and Stephon Marbury helped the Knicks reach the 2004 NBA Playoffs. In 42 games with the Knicks, Penny averaged 9.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. The Knicks lost in the first round of the playoffs. Penny led the Knicks in scoring in two playoff games, averaging 16.5 points in the series.
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 due to knee problems.
In February 2006, Penny was traded back to Orlando, but the Magic released him five days later.
Miami Heat (2007)
On August 9, 2007, Penny signed with the Miami Heat, reuniting with his former teammate Shaquille O'Neal. He wore jersey number 7, a new number for him. On December 12, 2007, the Heat released him. He played in 16 games, averaging 3.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists.
Coaching Career
In 2011, Penny Hardaway started coaching basketball at Lester Middle School, his old school. He took over for a friend who was sick. Penny wanted all his players to graduate from college, so he started a mandatory tutoring program. He led the Lester Lions to a state title!
Memphis Tigers (2018–Present)
On March 19, 2018, Penny Hardaway was hired as the head coach for his college alma mater, the Memphis Tigers. In his first year, he led the Tigers to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). He also brought in the top-ranked group of new players in the country. In 2021, he led Memphis to win the NIT championship. In 2023, Penny led Memphis to win the American Athletic Conference tournament and reach the NCAA Tournament.
Beyond Basketball
Before he was drafted into the NBA, Penny Hardaway and Shaquille O'Neal acted in the college basketball movie Blue Chips (1994). Penny also starred in the popular Nike advertising campaign "Lil Penny," where a puppet version of him was voiced by comedian Chris Rock.
Penny has earned a lot of money in his career. He owns a barbershop and beauty salon in Memphis and a turf business in Miami. He also works to promote sports in Memphis. In 2010, he helped bring back the Bluff City Classic, a summer basketball league. He also helped fund the University of Memphis Sports Hall of Fame. In 2012, Penny was part of a group that bought a share of the Memphis Grizzlies NBA team.
Personal Life
Penny has two sons, Jayden and Ashton, who both play college basketball. Jayden plays for his father at Memphis, and Ashton plays for Saint Mary's. Penny also has two daughters.
On December 29, 2023, Penny Hardaway was nominated for the first time to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Images for kids
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Hardaway in 2023
See also
In Spanish: Anfernee Hardaway para niños
