Despite all the differences they had during their time on the Orlando Magic, Shaquille O’Neal has always shown his respect to former teammate Penny Hardaway. The Big Diesel knows he had the chance to play with a player that could have been much greater than he was in injury had mercy with him.
It’s not crazy to see Shaq say that Penny was NBA-ready when he made it to the league, even saying that he was Kobe Bryant before the Black Mamba found his way to the association. Shaq is a big fan of Penny, and he doesn’t hesitate to praise the former guard whenever he has the chance.
If Shaq thinks that Penny was better than Kobe Bryant, one of the best players in NBA history, it’s easy to imagine that he thinks Hardaway is better than whoever plays in today’s league.
Shaquille O’Neal Doesn’t Want People To Compare Penny Hardaway To Kyrie Irving
That’s what he confirmed during a recent interview, where he discussed a variety of topics, including his free throw struggles and more. During a recent appearance on Drink Champs, Shaq was asked to pick between Penny Hardaway and another great point guard like Kyrie Irving.
This would be a tough matchup for anybody, but Shaq was quick to side with his former teammate, expressing how stupid that question was for him with his look.
N.O.R.E.: “Penny Hardaway or Kyrie Irving?”
O’Neal: “Penny Hardaway… Stop it. Stop it.”
N.O.R.E.: “No explanation?”
O’Neal: “My face is the explanation.”
It’s pretty clear that Shaq didn’t like that question. Besides the fact that he loved Penny’s game, he has been one of the biggest Kyrie Irving critics over the past couple of years. These two factors met him and Shaq gave a look that perfectly explained how he felt about these two NBA legends.
