Meet The GREATEST Player That NEVER Was

[@ckhid]

"Never was' ? ? What .. Penny Hardaway was THAT DUDE For like a decade between college & NBA. He never got a chip. But his sneakers are still iconic because of who he was

[@burdyo85]

Never a champion Never an mvp Never led the league in any metric He was a phenom, an incredible player in every possible definition of the word. Teamwork issues with Shaq stopped him from being a champion Injuries drastically shortened his career Bad beats but thems the breaks

[@paulpierre4895]

@@burdyo85I need of those sneakers lol

[@paulpierre4895]

@@burdyo85only guy that matches Jordan’s in sales I would rather urs over Jordan’s lol some mike lol

[@paulpierre4895]

@@burdyo85penny and shaq was the was the best Duo in their time lol

[@jhaydenlyle1115]

If a player never win any chips, mvp or any major awards and break multiple records he will never considered great.

[@DavidBaggaShorts]

Penny, his game and his sneakers are still so iconic. Those 90s bulls/magic games of him battling MJ and Scottie were awesome to watch as a kid. He shook Mike and Scottie several times too. 👟👌🏽🏀

[@FencingGold]

My little brother gave me a pair of his shoes for Christmas. They're amazing

[@One.Zero.One101]

Penny and Grant Hill's trading cards were my most coveted cards in the 90s. I was so jealous of other kids who had them.

[@Bruhda1]

Big facts Penny was that dude💯💪🏾☝🏾

[@Bonescratcher]

Grant Hill, Penny Hardaway, and Derrick Rose are unquestionably the 3 players with most unrealized potential in the history of the NBA

[@ryannichols819]

Freaking deeking injuries mann

[@michaelsteding7720]

Jay Williams.

[@moroccoisback477]

Penny was above

[@willc5723]

Not to mention Shaun Livingston

[@thebigchill7940]

Tracy mcgrady tho

[@rollandcurtisfromVermont]

Anfernee Hardaway was one of those “he doesn’t need to work on his game” kind of players because he came in with everything already at Level 9 - dribbling, passing, shooting, court-vision, ball-handling, basketball IQ. 🏀🏀🏀🏀

[@carlwallace1129]

@rollandcurtis874 Peak Penny was a unicorn talent

[@elgabacho73]

Grant Hill, Penny Hardaway, and Tracy McGrady. What could have been.

[@marcus.6487]

n-damn-deed ✌🏿

[@aceassn716]

They also could’ve acquired Tim Duncan But didnt want to give him a parking spot&his kids to be with him on long road trips Imagine Hill McGrady Duncan together

[@carlwallace1129]

@@aceassn716 they had conference finals easy . Them 3 three healthy would've been match up Problems for a few seasons in that era

[@bpdmf2798]

I was a kid in the 90s and in school every kid was hyped up about Penny. He was the next guy and being paired with Shaq helped.

[@mheykal]

Penny remains to me as my fav basketball player of all time. The games i watched him play was truly memorable .. good times. Special times. Thank you Penny !!

[@butchapolinar2305]

"draft penny or lose me" both happened😅

[@maxmeier532]

Never let a player be your GM. Lakers are still learning that.

[@jackson4274]

The Webber-Hardaway trade was honestly a steal for the Magic

[@IlPookiell]

Cap, penny was good, but webber had a hall of fame career

[@3CCstutter]

I think it was because the warriors only got Webber for one year, but I think if they didn’t do the trade the magic would have been good with Webber too.

[@InfiniteCoreXD]

@@3CCstutterWebber n Shaq how that work

[@parkinsaw]

@@InfiniteCoreXD Like Shaq/Kobe (they would find a way) In all honesty could have been "twin towers 2.0" (Ralph Samson/Dream) *Remember NBA was still center dominant*

[@reggiefurlow1]

Shaq and Penny had so much potential

[@Cannon4545]

Would've been better than Shaq/Kobe

[@potentially__9445]

@@Cannon4545ABSOLUTELY

[@brandonwombwell9222]

To me it’s grant hill. Until his injury in 99 he was killing people, then with 2 bum ankles still put up stats with the suns. Rose didn’t have any awards really till his mvp while grant was getting nba 1st and 2nd team. While competing with Jordan

[@skeezix8156]

Nobody wanted to or could guard Hill.

[@seanwilliams7655]

I'd personally toss Derrick Rose into the discussion as well.

[@HFH-Official]

McGrady, Hill, Penny and DRose and Antonio McDyess... very sad stories

[@One.Zero.One101]

Yeah I love Penny but Grant Hill is the best of the "What could have been" players in my opinion. I remember when Grant Hill's trading cards were just as expensive as Jordan's. He was supposed to be the next face of the league. Imagine the Grant Hill vs. Kobe battles we could have gotten.

[@clarenceorozco5300]

​@@One.Zero.One101Grant hill dian't have a jumper...

[@marcus.6487]

penny 👑 a damn memphis legend mane

[@multiyapples]

To be fair no one plans on getting injured when they are working a job that can earn them millions of dollars. Regardless I am glad he made it to the NBA.

[@ncnyc4418]

he still played over 10 years too..

[@tmac731]

You should do a video about Len Bias and Ben Wilson, 2 legendary players who died before entering the nba. Benji was killed in HS too

[@shakenblake4533]

Yeah these 2 are some of the if not the biggest what ifs in American basketball history

[@tmac731]

@@shakenblake4533 add d rose and those are the 3 biggest what ifs in history

[@Disxreet]

Nah.

[@shakenblake4533]

@tmac731 but atleast d Rose got to live out his nba dream and even won league mvp...

[@kimjongun2946]

Len Bias was the biggest bust in NBA draft history.

[@BoccaBeats]

How tf do you miss 4 straight free throws? 😭

[@3rr1k_]

pressure, millions of people watching you, forgetting muscle memory. you and i and everyone in this comment section could never relate

[@justiceli8947]

Pure bad luck

[@skynyrdjesus]

Personally? With flair and regularity

[@sjiang120]

That's not very surprising since Nick was just a plumber.

[@trivolution1]

Ask Klay, he knows

[@prestons1]

if shaq never left orlando they def could’ve won at least 2 chips

[@DiamondStudd757]

Agreed

[@Noah-z9c9l]

😮

[@MangoTroubles-007]

Nah Jordan would have beat them

[@Noah-z9c9l]

@@MangoTroubles-007 yea but they beat Jordan once so 😐

[@shakarussanders9911]

Yep 1999, 2000 champs in my opinion

[@dmora2386]

I miss 90s hoops. Now a days I can't get into basketball anymore. Somethings missing.

[@bcabrera971]

You just got older.

[@losmimisquis]

No more Dogs and city bois in the league anymore

[@katinawhitley9340]

Yeah defense and no playing in the paint

[@MillzSzn]

well they just carry and travel all over the place whoever decided to invent "the gather step" just invented something made basketball look crazy now

[@potentially__9445]

@@bcabrera971NOPE, today’s NBA is LEGIT TRASH

[@yowhatsmyname]

Penny was a special player. To this day, there hasn't been a player at his length and athleticism to play point guard so fluidly.

[@anthonyhurtado2260]

Ben Simmons

[@SweatyTurban34]

cade cunningham maybe

[@Melvin-t9e]

@@anthonyhurtado2260you should never ever comment about anything basketball ever saying something crazy stupid like that

[@LarrySwishamane]

Dwade had a lot in common with

[@Melvin-t9e]

@@LarrySwishamane only thing fluid about d wade is his gender

[@priztucker]

Biggest What ifs in NBA History List: 1. Derrick Rose 2. Penny Hardaway 3. Grant Hill 4. TMac 5. ? (Maybe Brandon Roy)

[@Cannon4545]

Len Bias. Greg Oden. Chris Webber to a degree. And Larry Bird too, to be honest. D. Rose is a wife beating pos though. He's also definitely not #1 on that list. Penny was much more talented and versatile. Len Bias also had more potential.

[@Crk2784]

Greg Oden

[@borisdodgingbullets]

Len Bias!

[@eds464]

@@Cannon4545 I wouldn't include larry bird. He started getting back issues in '88. So while his last 4 years he was hobbled he enjoyed a good 9 years.

[@Cannon4545]

@@eds464 He injured his back in 85, actually, and it was degenerative.. so yeah by 88 it was really starting to get bad, but it was a problem well before then, along with other issues (mangled shooting fingers, etc.)

[@codg3484]

Like Luka, he was first team all nba in his sophomore season. That’s crazy

[@stevecarpenter4702]

He was way better than Luka

[@LarrySwishamane]

📌 turn that shit up!!!! 🔊

[@LarrySwishamane]

@@stevecarpenter4702🤔

[@AldirchAdams]

If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you've made me smile, the entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand.

[@joeli27]

My favorite player all time..

[@moroccoisback477]

Penny was unique and cannot even be compared to anyone. He was perfect and beautiful to watch playing with nice moves : passing, shooting, dunk etc. He could have been the 2nd best GOAT behind MJ

[@EHSCourseCatalog]

Loved every second of this video

[@fitnesslk]

I loved Penny Hardaway in the 90s ! I became a Houston Rockets fan in 1994 in Februar/march! I was 10 Hakkem Olajuwon was my most favorite player ! I cried in an Interview back then when he was talking about retirement 😅 this is how much i cared about the guy ! Orlando / Penny mostly was one of my Favorite ! I loved as well The whole Houston team ! Watched the Nba Finals in Iceland in 3 and 4 am and slept often the 3rd and 4th quartes watching my heros ! Man do i miss those days being a kid and playong basketball dunking on a baskets that was in comparison to my height as the Nba vasket to their.heights and dunk in it between the legs off the board 360 and so on 😊

[@spaghettiman618]

Another dynamite video! Thank you for showcasing players like this!

[@InohiHsohba]

4:11 “He wasn’t familiar with his game” great job on the meme usage there haha

[@equilibrium_69]

Grant Hill next please. If Penny was the next Magic, Grant Hill was the next Jordan. Both derailed by injuries.

[@Cannon4545]

Eh. Both were hyped as "Jordan replacements" but neither were MJ. The only player like MJ we've seen is Kobe, and that's just because he idolized him and copied his game and happened to be the same size/position (though he wasn't nearly as good obviously). Grant Hill was the Lebron before Lebron.

[@metsrus]

@@Cannon4545 Nah Kobe was a product of media hype, great player but ever since he died they keep trying to bump him up that all time ranking list, higher than what he really deserved anyway. In my humble opinion, the best player post-MJ was Tim Duncan.

[@Ba_con55]

Nah chauncey billups said it best ..." Grant Hill was the first lebron james man "

[@Cannon4545]

@@Ba_con55 Yeah. People act like he's the first big PF who could pass and run. Chris Webber comes to mind too, although I agree GHill was closest.

[@Ba_con55]

​@@Cannon4545 Cwebb was the man I feel he doesn't get his due as an elite PF

[@lamebotmusic]

this was THE point guard for me... Penny was saucey and because of injuries, i still feel like he's underrated

[@highlyfegaming5344]

"But instead of dominating on the hardwood; Penny dominated operation tables and rehabilitation centers" is some of the funniest shit I've ever heard 🤣

[@Lboogs7]

He was so smooth but yet aggressive and was super clutch 💯💯🤝🏾

[@Imhimbro34]

I’m glad you made this video this was my favorite player back in the day always use him on 2k

[@CelticProdz]

Penny is the most underrated point guard of all time

[@carlwallace1129]

More like the most underrated player because he was a match up nightmare from both guard spots with his lethal midpost game and passing ability

[@CelticProdz]

@@carlwallace1129 true

[@Jp2timezz]

@@carlwallace1129was athletic too he could do everything

[@RE1GN_BLOOD]

Tony Parker says hello.

[@CelticProdz]

@@RE1GN_BLOOD 🔥💯

[@markburns7854]

It was so cool seeing some old footage of penny he TRULY played BEAUTIFUL basketball VERY REMINISCENT of prime magic

[@paskeviciusss]

The Cool Kids - Penny Hardaway (feat. Ghostface Killah)

[@_Clem_H_Fandango_]

I went to elementary school with Penny and here in Memphis you do not talk bad about Penny. Dude is a local hero and is an all around nice guy. He's also the coach of our beloved Tigers too.

[@mr_glasses]

I was in my young teens when I first fell in love with basketball. I was drawn to the Magic by Shaq's crazy big man dominance, but Penny, damn. I stuck around for Penny. They were so fun to watch together.

[@ALLHAiLKiNG_B]

One of the best videos nonstop sports has ever covered 🔥

[@jerseykillabee]

Hardaway is /was my first favorite player of all time. The Orlando magics when I was a kid was it for me

[@alanyulo2911]

Penny and Grant Hill. These are my 90s basketball heroes. I would play NBA 2k Myteam and wait for their Invincible Cards to relive those glory days of theirs. Definitely the greatest “what ifs” in basketball history.

[@blakebrown84]

Penny Hardaway was Magic Johnson 2.0, so his playing style was similar to his during his time in the NBA. He had it all as far as height, skill, vision, and an effortless style of play. He was a versatile guard who could handle the ball, pass with precision, and score from anywhere on the court. His athleticism and basketball IQ made him one of the most dynamic players of his era. In his prime, he was a force to be reckoned with, and it was heartbreaking to see injuries cut his career short. Do you think Penny and Shaq could have been as dominant as other iconic duos like Jordan and Pippen or Kobe and Shaq?

[@Sports.Doctor]

Penny Hardaway was known for his versatility, blending the skills of a point guard with the size and athleticism of a forward. His unique playmaking ability, smooth handles, and flair made him one of the most exciting players of the 1990s, drawing comparisons to Magic Johnson early in his career.

[@johncambridge7181]

Penny wasn’t just tall and fast guard he was skilful too. Damn

[@jeraldguevarra112]

but Ant Man said, Jordan was the only skilled player in his era

[@InfiniteCoreXD]

@@jeraldguevarra112ant don’t know none bout basketball he just physically gifted if we being honest

[@markburns7854]

Really happy you guys made a video about penny

[@Gottiline_Ace]

Those "Lil Penny" commercials by Nike were iconic. Blackstreet, Chris Rock and Penny Hardaway is peak 90's. 😂

[@tenzinalexander]

Chris Webber would have been a bad idea paired with Shaq. 2 dominating front court players who need the ball doesn't work. Magic wanted someone who can bring the ball up to Shaq and also be a 1-2, inside-outside scoring punch.

[@defiantking7777]

Exactly why they did they trade sir lol

[@tenzinalexander]

​@@defiantking7777I know but a lot of us Magic fans didn't like the trade at all and was even heavily booed at first

[@One.Zero.One101]

Hakeem + Ralph Sampson David Robinson + Duncan I think they could have made it work.

[@EmiliosFather]

Penny huh…. Yea, he was special. I think he had one of the biggest splashes ever. Not many could compete with Mike’s celebrity back then… Penny did. Penny was a big deal y’all. Till this day his penny 1’s are my favorite basketball shoes…over Jordan’s , back then wearing Jordan’s in Chicago got you killed

[@JudyVaughan-r8k]

In skating over thin ice our safety is in our speed.

[@nbapbaupdate8338]

Imagine Penny Hardaway STAY HEALTHY his whole NBA career DAMN

[@bw915j]

2:31 C'mon now, who are we kidding?

[@tc0930]

Pre-injury Penny was really something. He definitely had a little bit of Magic in him, and I don't know that I have said that about anybody since. Grant Hill was another top player from that era who had his potential cut short by injury. Grant was like offensive Scottie Pippen but with more of a scorer's mentality. Not the defender Scottie was, but still. He was a great player on Detroit.

[@Justzayfr_]

Thank you Nonstop ❤ Let these kids know who my Manz was 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@tonycurtin279]

My all time favorite player I still have the ball I had him sign on November 13th 1994 he was such a sweet and humble guys

[@Speedrun_exe]

Great Videos! But it would be cool if you can write down a Playlist of used songs. Whats the Track starting at 14:26?

[@user-zv5jd6yg7z]

The Air Pennys were great too. To this day, I have not seen more beautiful ones.

[@BrunoZephaniah]

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.

[@rickyrichreacts9667]

Never thought I’d hear the statement “Brian Shaw arrived and now they’re ready to take the next step” 😂😂😂😂😂

[@tenzinalexander]

He was actually a high IQ type player and a great piece off the bench But yeah that statement was probably a little over the top

[@arizonaFIREent]

Shaw was a good role player

[@One.Zero.One101]

Putting veterans in that team was a great decision by management. I think they had the players capable of winning the championship, they just needed a Phil Jackson type coach: C- Shaq PF- Horace Grant SF- Dennis Scott SG- Nick Anderson PG- Penny I think that could be a championship team.

[@henrysimmons6767]

First basketball shoe that costs 200 bucks when they came out. Im a huge Magic fan and watched him as a kid growing up. My goodness it was incredible

[@IrieVibration]

IN THE 90S WHEN I WAS A KID SOMEWHERE IN THE PROVINCES WE DON'T HAVE TELEVISIONS BUT THE AIR FILLED WITH HARDAWAY,JORDAN,O NEAL,KEMP, PAYTON,MALONE ,PIPPEN,MILLER AND RODMAN IT WAS AN AMAZING VIBES LISTENING NBA PLAYOFFS ON THE RADIO BACK IN THE OLD GOOD TIMES.=]

[@carlpacquing2575]

4:11 - Shaq: "I wasn't really familiar with your game..."

[@epicsseven7686]

Penny was more than a Magic Johnson type player. His game was more like Jordan, but he had is own style. His game is what we see today. But he was fundamentally solidand could do it all. Pass, penetrate, and could shoot from damn near anywhere on the court. He had ni weakness in his game before the injuries

[@moroccoisback477]

his game was like today but with the 90s defence so ....

[@gravydoors]

90s kids either idolize Jordan or Penny. His jerseys and shoes were selling like hotcakes back then.

[@Livinlegend26]

You're forgetting Grant Hill.

[@kb0x]

One of the most forgotten what if's OAT He isn't as talked abt as a what if. Not as much as D Rose or BROY or TMAC

[@JoeyGrimm]

i love it when you upload

[@DavidSassoon-c9u]

The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the worlds problems.

[@MICHAELCottrell-xw4zf]

Very nice

[@adub92199]

When usage rate goes up, the care you have body to take for your body is so important. When shaq left he had to carry more and he had the skills to do that but his body couldn’t physically keep up cause it’s a lot more strain.

[@Grimace_Gyatts]

Do Len bias next 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@Vin15113]

He made a video about Len Bias just search up Nonstop sports Len Bias

[@markburns7854]

Penny was great before all the injuries he seems like a great guy and even though he didn't win any rings I'm glad he was able to leave his mark in the NBA

[@bjgalindo3275]

GOAT 💯

[@jeffrayner7659]

One of my favorite players ever Penny Hardaway I'll be playing with the old school Magic on NBA 2K Penny was a beast

[@jsun3117]

He gave a one arm player from the DR an opportunity. That alone cemented his greatness

[@michaelglim]

Fan here 🙋🏻‍♂️

[@travisjazzbo3490]

I agree that Penny was one of the greatest players unrealized given his injuries. What stood out in this video for me was the Bulls comeback after they fell short to the Magic the year earlier (MJ was pretty rusty from his baseball days) and they just destroyed the Magic. Really shows you how incredible the Bulls were in those days and that year in particular. Yeah, Rodman was a real help, but come on... Until that year, Rodman was not know for a ton of value as much as his antics to that point

[@thomas_the_cat]

penny, grant hill, brandon roy, and drose are my mount rushmore of nba what ifs due to injuries 😅

[@NathanHelin]

If one does not know to which port is sailing, no wind is favorable.

[@koreifranklin4363]

This man changed the way I played basketball

[@RE1GN_BLOOD]

I remember him and Alonzo Mourning being the most popular players with kids along with MJ of course.

[@christoperrusli168]

Do patrick ewing next pls, or any how good player more

[@fpshooterful]

MAN...as a kid, i would go crazy over his brand of shoes.

[@patfer1189]

It's interesting that Prop 38 is brought up and applied to Shaq in the movie "Blue Chips", even as Penny was also a character in that movie.

[@lilhaxxor]

Makes you wonder how the heck did MJ survive a whole decade without major injuries. He was pushing his body hard and yet didn't break down. It's true that he hired a specialist after his first surgery, but still impressive nonetheless. If my memory is correct Hardaway had hired the same doctor MJ was using. It's also quite possible, MJ's retirement was a blessing, giving his body time to fully heal.

[@derrickharris8050]

Penny was something else and a great guy,hated seeing him go so soon

[@simon3708]

6:21 Horace Grant did all the dirty work 😅

[@omar-oi6zg]

These what if videos are just heartbreaking

[@freshnaproductions2105]

That draft trade announcement might of been the most dramatic one ever 😂

[@EdithBarney-v1e]

When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

[@PharSyde6ix]

Penny will always be my favorite player!

[@DungarooTV]

Penny Hardaway is my top 5 GOATs of all time!

[@nashyvan6667]

i never watched him play but just by looking at him. anybody could tell he was good.

[@LaCheleWallace]

"NEVER Was?" (rolls eyes) Look nah... Y'all gon quit disrespecting Mr. Penny Hardaway nah. He was such an elegant player. He dedicated his entire life to entertaining the world and this is the thanks that he gets. You cannot just wake up, roll outta bed and perform the way Mr. Hardaway did. "Never was" is such a hateful statement. I'm a '90s kid and we loooooved Mr. Hardaway. Every boy bought a pair of his shoes and wanted to be like him. I had him all over my walls, locker and binders. America put a lot of pressure on him so I know his nerves were bad. He did the best he could and we appreciate him. You get'cho ass on that court and get injured and see how you feel about it. Do not disrespect this legend like this again, hear?

[@ma-bn8jh]

My biggest what if is Ralph Sampson! Olajuwon and Sampson was crazy!

[@drewferd2720]

That was and always will be the best era of the NBA

[@Qriusme]

I think most people don't understand the biggest challenge of being a star in the NBA - just keeping healthy.

[@lovenlightman]

One of the best players I saw Could do every thing Superb passing and dribling If Shaquil had not left to the big money of the Lakers They would have been champions in my opnion

[@Nilz4FR]

I still have his original Jersey....legend!

[@Imhimbro34]

Watched to whole video already

[@paskeviciusss]

i did it twice already

[@Melfrance4465]

Penny was my favorite player bac n da days...

[@barryallen1035]

Coming out of high school Penny Hardaway was leaps ahead of Kobe Bryant at that stage, just was a better player. His bag was unreal.

[@lastshadowman]

Those long playing hours as a kid made him a phenom but also caught up to him in the end and robbed him of a long successful career.

[@truthmayhurt4488]

46-47 three point percentage is insane!