u/Echoesofgreatness13

Penny Hardaway was already a superstar. Then his knees changed everything

Penny Hardaway wasn’t a prospect who might have become great.
He was already there.
2× First Team All-NBA.
3rd in MVP voting at 24.
Then the knee injuries started piling up.
By 1997–98, he played just 19 games — and the Penny we saw during those early Orlando years was never quite the same again.
That’s what makes his story so fascinating to me.
If Penny stays healthy, what’s his realistic ceiling?
MVP?
NBA champion?
Top 20 all-time?
🎬 I made this short piece about the turning point in his career:

https://youtube.com/shorts/oYjmtuEGDGA?si=LmwS0gzLqpchYlZD

Curious where everyone here lands on the Penny “what if?”

u/Echoesofgreatness13 — 21 hours ago

▲ 12 r/NBAForgottenLegends+2 crossposts

Penny Hardaway finished 3rd in MVP voting at 24. Then his knees changed everything.

New short is up. First Team All-NBA, compared to Magic Johnson, one of the most electric talents of his generation.

https://youtube.com/shorts/Dirr70N1az8?si=vq4Npu6ScSKx\_c43

What do you think his ceiling really was if he stayed healthy?

u/Echoesofgreatness13 — 3 days ago

▲ 7 r/OrlandoMagic

Penny & Shaq were 23 and 24 when Orlando reached the Finals. What if they stayed healthy together?

Forget how stacked that young Magic core actually was. Penny was already elite before Shaq even hit his prime. then Shaq bounces, penny's knees go, and that whole dynasty just evaporates

Do you think Orlando could have won multiple championships if Penny stayed healthy?

reddit.com

u/Echoesofgreatness13 — 6 days ago

▲ 8 r/NBAoldschool

Before the injuries, Penny Hardaway was already an All-NBA First Team superstar. How high do you think he could have gone?

Penny's what if case is insane to me. dude finished 3rd in mvp voting in 95-96, 2x all nba first team, all before injuries wrecked everything

Genuinely think he had mvp level ceiling if healthy.
where do people rank him in the what-if tier list

u/Echoesofgreatness13 — 6 days ago

▲ 2 r/NBAForgottenLegends+1 crossposts

Which NBA “what if?” hurts the most?

Every NBA fan has that one career they wish had played out differently.
If you could give one of these players a healthy career at their full potential, who would you choose?
And tell us why in the comments.

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