8 players who had their careers cut short because of injuries

Penny Hardaway

Another player who revolutionized the point guard position was Penny Hardaway. At 6’7 he towered over opposing guards, yet could get to the basket as quick as anyone else in the league. But like so many others on this list, his body was just not meant to sustain such grueling pressure an NBA season has on your ligaments, resulting in injury after injury that made him never return to his prime.

Hardaway came into the NBA as an over-sized two guard that had a decent shot but outstanding court vision. Playing alongside Shaquille O’Neal in his early days with the Orlando Magic, Penny was typically out shined by the big man. But as Shaq left to go play for the Lakers in 1996, it became the Penny Hardaway show in Orlando.

He drove the Magic to the NBA playoffs that year where he tried to single-handedly will them to an NBA championship. They opened the playoffs against the Miami Heat, where Penny scored 42 points in game 3, 41 points in game 4, and 33 points in game five. However, his mesmerizing scoring efforts were not enough as they lost the series 3-2.

This would be Penny Hardaway’s peak year. His back to back 40 point performances were unprecedented in the NBA as he became the first player to do so when his team scored less than 100 points in the playoffs.

The following year, Hardaway suffered a devastating knee injury that he never really recovered from. He went on to have good years with the Suns alongside Jason Kidd, but none were like his time where he shined as a member of the Magic.

Penny Hardaway will go down in history as one of the best over-sized point guards in the history of the game. He paved the way for players like LeBron James and Michael Carter-Williams to revolutionize the point-forward position despite his history of knee problems.

Next: Brandon Roy