Penny Hardaway was one of the elite players in his prime and era — a 6-foot-7 point guard with a flash of magic, the poise of Zeke, and the kind of natural athleticism that made entire arenas lean in.
In the mid-1990s, Hardaway was the face of the Orlando Magic’s fast-rising franchise and a serious force in the Eastern Conference. When he stepped on the court, especially during those marquee matchups against the Chicago Bulls, he wasn’t just trying to hang with the greats.
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He was commanding their attention.
Respect from Jordan
One moment stood above the rest in his battles with Michael Jordan. Hardaway recounted the time he recognized he had truly earned the respect of the world’s most revered superstar.
“The ultimate respect was he got off me and put Scottie on me,” Hardaway said. “So, that to me was the ultimate respect because Michael, he was a [All] Defensive First Team, he that guy… But I took him to the post, nobody has ever posted M.J. like that.”
That was a strategic nod from the game’s most dominant player, acknowledging a worthy challenge. In the 1995 NBA playoffs, when Orlando met Chicago in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the spotlight couldn’t have been hotter.
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Jordan had recently returned from his first retirement, and while he was still shaking off the baseball rust, he was locked in for that series.
But Hardaway was different. He was methodical, smart, and surgical with the ball. He wasn’t rattled by the moment. The decision to have Scottie Pippen — the longtime Robin to Jordan’s Batman and arguably the best perimeter defender of the decade — switch onto Hardaway was a gesture.
By then, Hardaway was fresh off a season where he averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game. He was named All-NBA First Team in 1995, joining the likes of David Robinson, Karl Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon and Pippen. That same year, he helped the Magic eliminate Jordan’s Bulls in six games — a rare feat, considering the dynasty Chicago would go on to re-establish the very next year.
The moment of respect
Posting wasn’t a novelty for Hardaway, it was a weapon. At his size, with his handle and court vision, few guards had an answer. And that included Jordan. The guard from Memphis took Jordan to the post and walked away with his respect.
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“That’s not saying he couldn’t guard me on the post,” Hardaway said of Jordan. “The ultimate respect was when Scottie started guarding me after that. I was like, ‘Okay, I got his respect now.'”
For all the narratives that have floated around Jordan and who earned his approval, few players can point to such a vivid, game-based instance of that respect being earned in real time. Hardaway didn’t need words.
But fate had other plans for Hardaway.
His career, which started at such an electric pace, eventually slowed under the weight of injuries. After making three consecutive All-Star appearances from 1995 to 1997, Hardaway’s career took a sharp detour.
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A devastating left knee injury during the 1997–98 season required surgery and when he returned to the court, he was never the same dominant figure. The agility, the explosiveness, the precision — all of it was dulled by wear and tear that arrived too early.
Still, he finished his career with more than 10,000 career points. To many, Hardaway remains one of the greatest “what ifs” in NBA history. But to those who were there, on the court with him, especially during that 1995 playoff run, there’s no ambiguity about his greatness.