Words matter. These are the best Penny Hardaway Quotes, and they’re great for sharing with your friends.
Mentally I was retired, and physically I was retired. I was playing recreational ball. But when the decision happened with Chris Bosh and LeBron, I felt like I could really be good in that system.
Playing the game at a high level, understanding what it’s like to get to where I’ve already been and where they want to go. I tell those kids that we’re going to develop you, we’re going to teach you, and we’re going to have you ready off the court and on the court to be an NBA player.
I am used to the hype because I played in the NBA.
I was a sneakerhead before I even made it to the NBA.
It’s a huge honor to be put in the Hall of Fame… it’s even better because I played there for six years, and I left on bad terms. To be able to come back and be recognized – in hindsight, I wish I would have stayed, because everyone understands my career was large in Orlando.
If I’ve learned anything, it’s that you can’t take anything for granted.
I can pass on a lot of information. I’m just never going to be the 21-year-old Penny Hardaway again.
I wasn’t able to explode, jump, run – not even walk without pain being in the back of my leg. Every time I bent my leg, even in a walking motion, I was wondering what was wrong with me. But I stuck with it.
I can scream and yell that I can still play, but unless I prove it, people will say, ‘Yeah, Penny, whatever.’
I want to see the Memphis flags waving on the cars. I want to see the T-shirts going again, the hats going again like the old school days, and that’s what we want to take it back to.
Kobe has a different temperament than me. We’re both competitive, but he was much more outspoken. I would let anything roll off me. Nothing bothered me. I never complained.
For sure, I definitely feel like there’s a target on my back.
I keep myself in shape. I love the game of basketball, and I really feel like it doesn’t matter about your age.
My favorite sneaker is the Penny 1. The Penny 1 is an original, man, and I loved them from the beginning, and other people loved them, too. It was a comfortable shoe, and the Penny 1 was definitely my favorite to play in. The Penny II was a close second, though.
I don’t know who Rick Barnes thinks I am, but I’m not a dude that likes to just mess around about anything.
People didn’t want to accept that I was injured. I played on a bad knee, a really bad knee, for a long time. I actually put team before me and played when I was hurt, but people still would dog me.
With Shaq, you have to let him know that he’s the man. You have to do that with him.
Orlando is my history.
I was blessed to get the contracts I had.
I’ve coached grassroots for eight years, I coached middle school, and I coached high school.
I felt pain every night. After games, it took me a long time to walk to my car, and the driving home, it took me a couple of minutes even to get out of my car and extend my legs and just walk.
When you accomplish certain levels of success in a number, you want that number to always be a part of you. In a way, you’re bringing that success with you when you’re wearing it.
I didn’t care about titles unless they were championship titles. I don’t care about who the man is on the team.
Personally, I just want to stay healthy.
I was an introvert.
When Grant Hill came back to Orlando after having all of his surgeries, I was the first person to call him and congratulate him for making it back. It seemed like nobody cared about what I was dealing with.
When you still have something in the tank, it’s really hard to let it go.
Someone takes the challenge with me, I’m going to take it right back.
There’s going to be situations that you get into that you’re going to need help, for sure. But for the most part, I think coaching is just understanding who you have and your team, understanding yourself, and understanding the situation.
It’s fun coming back home, playing against the Grizzlies and to have the opportunity to come back and see my family.
I’m so appreciative of Orlando. I am Orlando. Orlando made me. So when people link my name, they link my name to Orlando and nowhere else. I’ll always be indebted to Orlando for that and grateful at the same time.
I was one of the best players in the NBA.
I went from being very athletic, one of the best guards in the NBA, to barely making it. No speed, no agility. I had to change how I played because I couldn’t exercise or train because my knee constantly hurt.
I just call it like I see it.
I just want to win.
It’s just hard to watch isolation basketball.
I like to keep teams off balance.
There’s the hardest thing – when you cannot be as athletic or perform at a level you really want to. Your mind is telling you, but your body is not allowing you.
I’m not the kind of coach who feels like they know everything and ‘Don’t say anything to me.’
I want the opportunity to play pain-free.
I’m so thankful and blessed for the Heat organization.
Talk about full circle, I never saw this coming. It wasn’t like I said, ‘Someday, I want to be the head coach at the University of Memphis.’
I wore No. 25 in college, so naturally when I arrived in Orlando, I wanted that number, but Nick Anderson had it. I decided to go with No. 1 because of my name, Penny.
My microfracture was handled like a routine arthroscopic surgery. They thought it was a 6-to-8 week deal. Now we know, from Amare Stoudemire to Kenyon Martin, that it’s a longer deal.
You wanted to compete against Michael Jordan, because they were the best. You wanted to beat them. Never once in my mind, I went, ‘I would love to play with him.’ I was always like, ‘Man, we’ve got to beat them.’