As we (slowly) continue our way to the Top 50 of each franchise, the next step will be to look at how each team celebrates their former players/executives.
As such it is news to us that the Orlando Magic has announced that former star, Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway will become the fifth member of their organization’s Hall of Fame.
In 1993, Hardaway was drafted with the 3rd overall pick by Golden State but was subsequently traded to Orlando with other first round picks for the rights to #1 overall pick Chris Webber. Joining Shaquille O’Neal, Hardaway took the Magic to 50 wins, and finished 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting behind Webber.
The next two seasons were arguably the best of Penny’s career and that of the Orlando Magic. Hardaway and O’Neal anchored the Magic to their first ever NBA Finals and the team would have 57 and 60 Wins respectively. Penny was an All Star in both of those seasons and was named a First Team All-NBA Selection and averaged over 20 Points and 7 Assists per Game.
While Hardaway would be named an All Star for the next two seasons, the fortunes of the Orlando Magic had changed. Shaq would sign a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers and Penny had to carry the offensive load. He still had a 20 Point per Game season in 1996-97 and earned Third Team All NBA honors but a severe knee injury took him out of most of the 1997-98 campaign.
He would return for one more season (his sixth) but he was no longer the same player and he would be traded to the Phoenix Suns prior to the 1999-2000 season.
Overall, as a member of the Orlando Magic, Penny Hardaway played 365 Games averaging 19.0 Points, 6.3 Assists, 4.6 Rebounds and 1.9 Steals per Game.
Hardaway joins Co-Founder Pat Williams, Nick Anderson (the first player drafted by the team and current Community Ambassador), Shaquille O’Neal and Senior Chairman, Rich DeVos.
The ceremony will take place on January 20, on their home game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway for earning this honor.
Penny Hardaway to enter the Orlando Magic HOF
- Written by Committee Chairman
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Published in Not in Hall of Fame News
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Read 9065 times
13 Jan
2017
2017
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