The Orlando Magic will induct Penny Hardaway into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame during next Friday’s game at the Amway Center. A much deserved honor.
The Orlando Magic will induct Anfernee Hardaway into its team Hall of Fame during a ceremony next Friday, Jan. 20, against the Milwaukee Bucks at Amway Center.
Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway will become the fifth member of the team’s Hall of Fame since the team introduced it in 2014 during the team’s 25th anniversary season. And a shoo-in to get in eventually. The ordering does not matter much, it was a matter of when Hardaway wanted to come to Orlando and receive the honor.
Hardaway is very much a part of the Magic’s Mount Rushmore of players. He was a three-time All-NBA selection and a four-time All Star.
In Orlando, he was an original unicorn. A 6-foot-7 point guard with athleticism and speed, able to run a team and shoot over the top of smaller point guards. The league believed it was seeing a second Magic Johnson with Hardaway’s size and passing ability.
In his six seasons in Orlando, Hardaway averaged 19.0 points per game and 6.3 assists per game. He was the key to the Magic’s original, surprising Playoff run to the 1995 NBA Finals. In the post-Shaquille O’Neal era, Hardaway took over as a true superstar.
It made Hardaway one of the best players in franchise history. And one of its most celebrated and fan favorite players of all time.
“In continuing our tradition of honoring those who have made the most significant contributions to our history, we are honored to induct Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway into the Magic Hall of Fame,” said Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins in a press release. “With his size, speed, and quickness, Penny electrified us on a nightly basis, while helping lead the Magic to previously unprecedented heights. His compassion in the community was equally impactful, while he also raised the Orlando Magic’s national profile.”
Hardaway’s career in Orlando started inauspiciously.
The Magic had won the lottery for the second straight season and were largely expected to take Chris Webber, creating a terrifying frontcourt duo with O’Neal.
Magic general manager Pat Williams surprised everyone at the Orlando Arena when he announced the team had traded Webber to the Golden State Warriors for the third overall pick (Hardaway) and three future first round picks (one would later become rookie of the year Mike Miller). Williams promised the fans the boos they were raining down on him would turn to cheers.
The move proved to be a shrewd and correct one as Hardaway complemented O’Neal perfectly and the duo became the talk of the NBA very quickly. The cheers came very quickly.
The Magic made the Playoffs as the 4-seed in Hardaway’s rookie year. By his second year, the Magic were title contenders, winning their first Atlantic Division title and the top overall seed on their way to the franchise’s first Eastern Conference championship.
It felt like the world was their oyster and with both Hardaway and O’Neal in their first years, it felt like the team would run the league for years to come.
Michael Jordan and his record-setting Chicago Bulls put an end to that thought. And O’Neal’s sudden departure put an end to the Magic dynasty.
But Hardaway continued his star turn for the Magic. He dominated the league still, even as the Magic struggled to remain relevant. He scored 40 points in back-to-back games to stave off elimination in the 1997 Playoffs, pushing the second-seeded Miami Heat to the brink of elimination.
Injuries would color the rest of Hardaway’s career. He never could recover from an initial knee injury, playing just 19 games in 1998. He would play all 50 games in the lockout-shortened 1999 season, but he was never the same.
With Orlando looking to rebuild and frustration growing over Hardaway’s deteriorating skills, the team and Hardaway parted on somewhat bitter terms.
Time has healed all wounds. As they should with Hardaway, one of the Magic’s all-time great players.
His induction into the team Hall of Fame was not an if, but a when. And, if the Magic retired jerseys, undoubtedly his No. 1 jersey would hang in the rafters.
As it is, the Magic will honor Hardaway in the team’s Hall of Fame next Friday. He will join Nick Anderson, Pat Williams, Shaquille O’Neal and owner Rich DeVos with a monument in the team’s fan experience section within the Amway Center.
The team will honor his accomplishments at midcourt during the Jan. 20 game against the Milwaukee Bucks and officially induct him into the team’s hall of fame before the game.
Next: Orlando Magic do not have to retire anyone's jersey
This is a well-deserved, and long-awaited honor — even in the team Hall of Fame’s short history.