1999-2000 Penny was a beast. He still had some athleticism (although not as crazy as 1996-1997 and before), but his skill level was top tier, without a doubt.
Everyone talks about how penny was a shell of himself when he got to Phoenix but people are pretty quick to forget he was still pretty good his first year there. It was those off-season surgeries between 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 that effectively got him going downhill.
If Penny Hardaway wouldn't have gotten hurt early in his career it's no telling if Kobe's legacy would've been as strong as it was. Same thing for Grant Hill.
@The Techxtremist everybody that was great at the game didn't get to win. Had things went a little differently penny would have owned the whole league after Jordan left. There's lots of players like that because they are all hyper talented. Shaq with penny dam near won a chip as a 4 year old expansion team. Think of penny kinda like D rose except he could shoot and pass far better.
Good to see the REEMERGENCE of Old school Anfernee AKA "Penny" Hardaway! He had the whole repertoire going for him, slashing to the hoop, backing in turning around shot, ally-U out of nowhere; and the best part it was against his former teammate that had jumped ship Shaq O Neal and young Kobe Bryant. One of the rare times that Kobe got schooled.
Just beautiful to watch Penny play. That drive to the hoop stop and fade away in the fourth quarter is spectacular to watch and to have Hubie Brown as broadcaster just makes it even better. I remember I made a penny video using some of these highlights with both music and some Hubie commentary on Penny.
Penny was a bad Mutha***** next to Jordan he was Achilles in Greek legend in the NBA. Shooting star. Big brilliant flash but a short time. Hands down this dude shook the great ones in their prime
Huge Penny Fan Here. One thing I wish he would have more, was guard the best players at the end. A way better matchup for the Suns having Penny on Kobe instead of Kidd.
Lakers championship years Shaq was the finals Mvp if Kobe was so great why he didnt takeover the games in the finals when Shaq was there think about that but Orlando with Shaq never went anywhere until Penny arrived think about that Kobe wasnt even a incredible rookie he just was a kid with raw talent out of high school may he rest in peace and become a great player but almost at the end of his career Penny came in the league a great player after two years in College but made a immediate impact and at 6'7 but I think he was 6'6 like Mike but that's another discussion for a different day but with freakish athleticism and a 7 footer wingspan he could play every position on the court he was a revolutionary player no one else has came in the league like him since the bounce he had and court awareness and could score at will he was sumthin different way different.
I really didn't understand how Jason Kidd was traded to the Nets for Marbury. If Im not mistaken, they beat the defending champion Spurs in the playoffs,. That season Penny is regaining his game and schooling rising stars such as Kobe, Iverson, Marbury.
Lions And Truth anyone can score 15 when they have shaq on their team, penny in his prime would dominate kobe one on one everyday, people forget how great he was when he was healthy
+Jason Hardaway thing is we’d never know so it’s a pointless statement u made. Women n kids make those type of foolish statements, u should use logic n facts more. The fact is Kobe hit the game winner so it doesn’t matter he had
Lions And Truth not sure why women are involved lol, i understand where your coming from in the respect that yes he made the last shot, good for him, did he really get them the win? Probably not, my opinion and only my opinion as a fan of the game in general, penny in his prime was nearly impossible to guard, Jordan couldn't stop him, pippen couldn't stop him so when ppl say kobe is better, I see both individuals and kobe was never a post threat and never had the arsenal penny had, kobe was one of best no doubt, but talent and one on one, penny wins, im also pretty sure they went one on one early on in jibes career and penny humbled the young kobe which kobe held a grudge his whole career
+Jason Hardaway my man ur talking about things that don’t matter or have any validity to em when ur talking about fantasy match ups on the highest level. What we do know is Kobe had a dominate career n hit the game winner. Penny had a dominate career early then got injured n was never the same. Now u talking bout Jordan vs Penny...We all got to see the real Mike in the 96 playoffs n I remember them getting swept, Penny had one good game in a blow out smh but Mike was absolutely unstoppable, dominated their whole squad.
Lions And Truth for starters I would never compare mike to penny, that's crazy, all im saying is in kobes and pennys prime, I'd pick a prime penny over kobe, yes well done at pointing out the obvious kobe had a longer career, I said Jordan had a hard time guarding penny, where as kobe even when was penny was hurt, Kobe couldn't guard him, not hard to do the math
Even after all the knee surgeries Penny was still ballin going on only his basketball IQ imagine he never got hurt man oh man the G.o.a.t discussion may of been very different🤔
0:11, I can't imagine anyone leaving MJ to double team another player consistently, the way guys like Pippen and Penny etc. had to do with Kobe. Heck, I can't even imagine that happening with LBJ. Kobe seriously rode Shaq's wagon. Kobe is overrated. Just another good role player. No different than Robert Horry.
Jesse 89 Thank you! The fact that this got one like, let alone 5 is absurd. Kobe more than held his own with or without Shaq. Crazy how the haters want to talk about how poorly he played here, yet they don’t wanna bring up the following season. Personally, I was a fan of Penny, Michael, and Kobe, appreciating their respective games for what they’re worth. Wish everyone could do the same. Smh.
Let's count the number of times in the highlights Kobe is left open to guard Shaq. You know the whole game would mean alot more times. 0:11. 0:27. 1:01. 5:06. and counting. 6:06. (8:21 isn't one but is funny still). And then finally his game winner was straight up luck judging by the form and awkwardness of the shot which clearly looks unplanned. Fucking jest. Overrated.
epics7 I tell people all the time that yes Penny was a bad man, but this notion that he would destroy Kobe is absolutely ludicrous! Not saying Penny didn’t have a work ethic, because I believe he did, but Kobe’s work ethic alone would put him over the top! You know for a fact that if Penny got the better of Kobe in one game, he’d be obsessively studying film on how he could better defend him the next time out...This after making 2,000 jumpers, and hitting the weight room.
