Thinking About Tim Hardaway and Penny Hardaway
So, the names Tim Hardaway and Penny Hardaway came up the other day. Got me thinking back, you know? It’s funny how you remember players. I started just picturing them in my head, back when I actually watched them play live on TV. Felt like different times.
First thoughts? Tim Hardaway – man, that crossover. The UTEP Two-step. He was tough, kinda bulldog style point guard for Golden State and then Miami. Just relentless. Always felt like he was playing angry, in a good way.
Penny Hardaway was different. Smooth. Tall for a guard back then, gliding around. Playing with Shaq in Orlando, that was something special. He had that flair, the commercials, the shoes. Seemed like the next big thing.
So, I decided to kinda refresh my memory. Didn’t do deep research, just kinda poked around. Watched some old highlights online. Yeah, Tim’s crossover still looks unguardable. Just nasty breaks on ankles. And Penny… watching those early Magic highlights, wow. The passing, the scoring, the size. He could do it all.
Then you start comparing, which is what folks often do. Here’s what I kinda put together in my head:
- Style: Tim was power and quickness, low to the ground. Penny was finesse and length, smooth operator.
- Peak: Tim had a longer, solid peak, especially with the Heat. Penny’s peak was incredibly high but felt shorter because of the injuries.
- Impact: Both were huge stars. Tim was a killer scorer and leader. Penny felt like a potential Michael Jordan successor for a minute there, with his all-around game and marketability.
The big thing, though? Injuries. That really changed Penny’s whole career path. It’s one of those big “what ifs” in basketball. What if Penny had stayed healthy? Man, the league might have looked different. Tim had his injuries too, but he seemed to bounce back and have that sustained run, especially later in Miami.
So, after thinking it over and watching a few clips, my main takeaway wasn’t really about who was “better.” They were just different flavours of awesome point guard play from the 90s. Tim was the streetball killer crossover master, Penny was the silky smooth, big guard phenom. Both were fantastic to watch back in the day. It was a good trip down memory lane, just remembering those games and those styles. Different guys, different careers, both left a mark.
