Around this time of year, Hardwood Paroxysm usually does a theme week. This year, as the pool of players who began their careers in the 1990s dwindles, we thought it would be fun to celebrate the entire decade. In typical HP fashion, we will be covering ten years of basketball like a cat chasing a laser pointer. There is nothing comprehensive about our plans, around the HP Network we’re simply digging into the players, teams, and stories from that decade which interest us most. Welcome to #90sWeek.
When we’re younger, we’re naive. Our innocence shields us from the harsh realities of the world but also limits our wisdom. As we grow older, we slowly but surely begin to learn the little intricacies of how we operate as a society.
I’d love to say the same about this Penny Hardaway pass, but I still can’t fully comprehend it. Before his infamous knee injury, Hardaway was the second coming of Magic Johnson — a guard with size who could overpower his opponents but still possessed playmaking creativity and spectacular court vision.
He catches the ball at the top of the key and drives past Greg Anthony. The rest is still a mystery.