By John Denton
Jan. 12, 2017
ORLANDO – Transformational point guard Penny Hardaway has said for years that he remembers ``nothing but great things’’ about his spectacular, yet sometimes rocky six seasons with the Orlando Magic.
Soon, Hardaway will have another great memory to attach to his stellar stint with the Magic.
Orlando announced on Thursday that Hardaway will be inducted into the Magic’s Hall of Fame next week at the Amway Center. Hardaway, 45, will be the fifth player inducted into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame, joining legendary owner Rich DeVos, co-founder and Senior Vice President Pat Williams, former center Shaquille O’Neal and small forward Nick Anderson.
Hardaway’s induction into the Magic Hall – which is located near the Nutrilite Magic Fan Experience at the Amway Center – will take place prior to the Magic’s Jan. 20 game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Later that night, Hardaway will be honored during the game before Magic fans at the Amway Center.
Hardaway is deserving of a hearty ovation from the fans, Magic CEO Alex Martins said in a release on Thursday.
``With his size, speed and quickness, Penny electrified us on a nightly basis, while helping lead the Magic to previously unprecedented heights,’’ Martins said. ``His compassion in the community was equally impactful, while he also raised the Orlando Magic’s national profile.’’
The Magic unveiled its inaugural Hall of Fame class in April of 2014, naming Williams and Anderson, the team’s first-ever draft pick and current Community Ambassador. In 2015, O’Neal became the third member inducted, while DeVos joined the Magic Hall last season.
The Magic Hall of Fame honors and celebrates the great players, coaches and executives who have had a major impact during the team’s illustrious 28-year history. The Hall bridges the past with the future of Magic basketball, and the exhibit provides Magic fans an opportunity to learn some Magic history while attending games at the Amway Center. The inductees are selected based on their on-court and off-court contributions to the team and the community.
The Magic believed in Hardaway’s bright future even before he ever donned the franchise’s pinstriped uniforms. Orlando traded the draft rights to No. 1 overall pick Chris Webber to Golden State in 1993 for Hardaway and host of future draft picks so that they could pair the dazzling point guard with O’Neal, Anderson and Dennis Scott. That move proved to be genius as the O’Neal/Hardaway-led Magic reached the NBA Finals in 1995 and the Eastern Conference Finals in 1996.
The defection of O’Neal in ‘96 and a knee injury to Hardaway were seemingly the only things that kept the Magic from ultimately becoming a dynasty that racked up several championships for Orlando, Shaq and Penny agreed upon during the 2016 ESPN 30 for 30 documentary titled ``This Magic Moment.’’ The duo, which often feuded during their time together in Orlando as each battled for recognition and endorsement dollars, were co-producers of the film that told the story of the franchise’s sudden rise.
Because of his 6-foot-7 size and impressive court vision, Hardaway was thought to be a revolutionary at the point guard position much like Magic Johnson a decade ahead of him.
He backed up the hype by averaging 19 points, 6.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.95 steals per game in his 369 career games with the Magic. Unlike O’Neal during his tenure in Orlando, Hardaway was universally thought to be the game’s best player at his position while he played for the Magic, twice being named All-NBA First team (1994-95 and 1995-96).
Hardaway also garnered world-wide fame while with the Magic for the Nike commercials he appeared in alongside of ``Lil’ Penny,’’ a cartoon character voiced by actor/comedian Chris Rock.
Hardaway, who is famously known in Orlando for the game-winning assist to Horace Grant to beat the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls in Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Finals, also played and started in 45 playoff outings with the Magic, averaging 21.8 points, 6.5 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.91 steals. During the 1997 playoffs, he scored 40-plus points in back-to-back games – another first for a Magic player.
Hardaway ranks among the franchise’s all-time leaders in several categories, including steals (third, 718), assists (fourth, 2,343), field goals made (sixth, 2,542), points scored (seventh, 7,018) and minutes played (seventh, 13,721). Off the court, Hardaway was also honored for his efforts off the court with the 1996-97 Rich and Helen DeVos Community Enrichment Award.
Near the end of his time in Orlando, Hardaway clashed with former head coach Brian Hill and he asked to be traded by the franchise following the first-round playoff exit in 1999. When he was honored by the Magic three years ago as the franchise was celebrating its 25-year anniversary, Hardaway said the good times in Orlando far outweighed his rocky finish.
``I remember nothing but great things. None of the bad ever comes up when I think back,’’ Hardaway said. ``The injury that I had going into my last year was bad, but I just remember all great times.
``Being swept in the first round my first year (the 1993-94 season) was tough, but we had a great year,’’ Hardaway recalled. ``Then, we sign Horace Grant that summer (of 1994) and I knew instantly, `Man, we’re going to The Finals.’ And we did because I knew we were just one player away. So my memories of Orlando are nothing but good. I was young and we had one of the better teams in the NBA and we were treated like rock stars around the league.’’
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