20 NBA Hall-of-Fame careers that were cut short by injury

NBA Hall-of-Fame career cut short: Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway

Now the head coach of the Memphis Tigers, at one point Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway was one of the brightest young stars in the entire league. After playing three seasons at Memphis he was selected third overall in the 1993 NBA Draft and traded immediately to the Orlando Magic as part of a package for Chris Webber.

Hardaway was shot out of a gun in Orlando, immediately stepping up as Shaquille O’Neal’s wingman and averaging 16 points and 6.6 assists as a rookie. Three consecutive 20-point per-game seasons followed, earning Hardaway multiple All-Star appearances. Even with Shaq leaving, Hardaway was poised to lead the Magic as their centerpiece for years to come. He led the Magic into the postseason and averaged 31 points per game in nearly upsetting the Miami Heat in 1997.

Just a few games into the following season, however, disaster struck. Penny Hardaway suffered a terrible knee injury and missed most of the rest of the season (he came back for a handful of games mid-season, including the All-Star Game, and that proved to be a mistake). At that point, Hardaway had undergone four surgeries on that knee.

Each subsequent season was a similar story, Hardaway gutting out knee pain and decreasing athleticism to try and continue winning games. He continued to undergo knee surgeries; he had two surgeries on his left knee in the 2000-01 season alone. He slowly saw his scoring average dip, his starting opportunities dry up, and eventually, he had to hang up his shoes and call it quits.

It’s possible that Hardaway’s fame and peak lead to an eventual Hall of Fame berth, but at this point, it seems like he will be left out. Few players reached his peak and didn’t make it, which makes his injuries that much more dispiriting.