Horace Grant rubbed shoulders with some of the best players of all time. Michael Jordan in Chicago or Shaquille O’Neal et Kobe Bryant in Orlando and then Los Angeles, for example. When he wore the Magic jersey, after the Three-Peat with the Bulls, the man with the goggles also rubbed shoulders with one of the most talented basketball players of his generation: Penny Hardawaywho turns 52 today.
The Magic point guard saw his career hampered and shattered by injuries, but anyone who saw him play back then knows that he could and should have had a greater impact on his time and on the NBA. During an interview with Universe Galaxy, Grant was asked which of Penny Hardaway and Kobe Bryant was more talented. The general public and many observers would have answered the “Black Mamba” without hesitation. Not Grant, whose response is more nuanced.
“In terms of talent, it’s extremely difficult… They’re both very. I can’t say one is more talented than the other. Could Penny have had a career like Kobe ? Without a doubt.
We’re talking about a guy who was over 2 meters tall, was able to see the game, shoot 3 points, drive, make assists… He knew how to do everything”.
If Horace Grant sees an important difference between the two, it is in terms of the relationship with others and qualities as a teammate.
“Kobe and Penny were cool with me. If I had to choose, I’d still say Penny. You could go up to Penny and say, ‘Man, I need to take a few shots in this game.’ ‘No problem, I’ll give you the ball.’ Kobe would have said, ‘If you want the ball, go get the rebound’.”
Grant was champion in 2001 in a reduced role with the Lakers, with a Kobe Bryant reluctant to feed teammates not named Shaq. His adventure with Penny Hardaway led him to the NBA Finals in 1995, with a loss against the Houston Rockets.
Penny Hardaway: what he was, what he could have been
2023-07-18 16:45:00
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