A Phoenix Suns fan at Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks wore a Penny Hardaway and NBA Twitter was all about it.
Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Suns and Bucks featured another juicy matchup between NBA stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Devin Booker and Chris Paul.
So it’s doubtful anyone could have predicted one of the stars of the outing would be a long-retired ex-Sun.
If Giannis’ outstanding game had people talking, a glimpse of a retro Penny Hardaway Suns jersey had people talking even more.
Fans lost it seeing a Penny Hardaway jersey in the stands at the NBA Finals
Beautiful ball movement, and again, a great defensive effort. This is a worthy NBA Finals series.
— Andrew Begley (@AndrewNLSC) July 9, 2021
Also, a retro Penny Hardaway jersey sighting in the crowd. That's a fun collectable to see, some 21 years later. https://t.co/ERNOM8kNQg
Some people didn’t believe their eyes.
Was that a Penny Hardaway jersey 👀
— Shalom (@chandricah_) July 9, 2021
Was that a Penny Hardaway jersey in the crowd
— Daniel (@HiiAmDaniel) July 9, 2021
It sure was, and people loved it.
Just seen the Penny Hardaway Suns jersey in the crowd. One of the best jerseys seen so far
— NL (@NJL84) July 9, 2021
Others used the old-school jerseys to take a swipe at Suns fans.
I've seen Suns jerseys for Penny Hardaway, Jason Kidd, and Steve Nash tonight. How many of these fans dusted these off after forgetting about this team for a decade
— ᑎIᑕK ᗩᔕᕼOOᕼ 🤧 (@NickAshooh) July 9, 2021
Either way, the Hardaway was the unexpected talk of the town during Game 2.
Hardaway played for the Suns for five years. After his All-Star stretch with the Orlando Magic, he was traded to Phoenix for Pat Garrity, Danny Manning and two first-round draft picks.
Unfortunately, the partnership didn’t exactly work out. He struggled with injuries and didn’t get along with Jason Kidd while averaging 12.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the team before they also traded him in 2004.
The deal with the Knicks sent Hardaway, Stephon Marbury and Cezary Trybanski to the Knicks for Howard Eisley, Maciej Lampe, Antonio McDyess, Charlie Ward, Milos Vujanic and two first-round picks. Those names may not mean much to most, but the cap room gained allowed the Suns to pick up Steve Nash. So it made quite a difference in the end.
Hardaway retired in 2006 before coming back for one last go-around with Miami in 2007-08. His stint with the Heat came just a few years too early to benefit from the arrival of LeBron James, leaving the veteran guard without an NBA title.