During his prime years in the NBA, Penny Hardaway was more than just an All-Star player. He was a cultural phenomenon wrapped in a 6’7” frame. With a signature game that blended silkiness and explosiveness, Hardaway emerged as one of the biggest names in the sport in the ‘90s.
Yet, beneath the flashy style of play, Penny was also a fierce competitor. In fact, one of his ultimate goals was to beat Michael Jordan, the man who was dominating the entire league.
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While the modern NBA era is defined by the “super team” blueprint, Hardaway was forged in a different fire. He never even considered teaming up with MJ to form a super team, not even in his head.
“No, I always wanted to play against those guys,” Hardaway told Magic.com. “That was unheard of when I was playing. You wanted to compete against Michael Jordan, because they were the best. You wanted to beat them. Never once in my mind, I went, “I would love to play with him.” I was always like “man, we’ve got to beat them.”
Hardaway actually beat MJ
With that in his mind, Hardaway anchored the Orlando Magic’s heart and grit. Along with fellow All-Star Shaquille O’Neal, Penny led the expansion franchise to unprecedented heights.
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In fact, in the 1995 playoffs, the NBA witnessed a tectonic shift no one had expected. Hardaway and the Magic upset the mighty Chicago Bulls and shattered Jordan’s invincibility, a feat that no other team had accomplished since the Bulls won their first NBA title in 1991.
Shaq dominated the paint, leaving the Bulls helpless throughout the six-game series. However, for some fans, it was Hardaway’s guts to go up against the best player in the world that truly deserved recognition.
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Penny had a change of heart about super teams
Over time, Hardaway’s perspective on super teams pivoted. In fact, the four-time All-Star once attempted to make an NBA return at age 39 and join a super team.
“I’m just throwing my name in the hat,” Hardaway said on ESPN’s Outside The Lines in 2010. “I’m just one to put my name out there and say, hey, I would love to be one of the guys to be on that team. I just really hope that they give me a great opportunity to come back down and show that I can do the things that I did a couple years ago.”
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By the time Penny walked away from the game in 2007, a cascading series of injuries had already stripped his athleticism. Yet in 2010, Penny claimed he was physically rejuvenated and still capable of contributing as a legitimate member of the Miami Heat. This team had just signed LeBron James and Chris Bosh to form a Big 3 with Dwyane Wade.
“I felt like I could really be good in that system,” Hardaway said of the 2010 Heat. “I felt like with a minimal role of what they’re trying to fill, a very small piece in a big puzzle, it doesn’t really matter your age. If you can have a good influence on the team, whether it be in the locker room or on the floor, I feel like I can do that, that’s why I really want to go back because I really feel like I can help that team.”
Despite Penny’s push to join the Heat, the call from Pat Riley never came. It marked a full-circle moment for a player who once saw teaming up with superstars as unheard of, highlighting just how much the league’s culture had changed.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on May 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.