Penny Hardaway could never fulfill his potential after injuries were ruthless with him. The point guard was expected to become an icon in the NBA, but things fell apart after the Orlando Magic reached the NBA Finals in 1995.
During his best days, Penny was a big deal around the association, one of the best players in his position during the 90s. He had the chance to appear in several commercials during those days, as Nike created this puppet called ‘Lil Penny’ that stole the show whenever he appeared on TV.
One of the most iconic commercials with Lil Penny involved supermodel Tyra Banks, who apparently had a relationship with the puppet after appearing in Lil Penny’s SuperBowl party.
In one of the most memorable lines of a pool party commercial, Lil Penny reminds Tyra that she left her toothbrush at the puppet’s house.
The 90s were an incredible era, especially for the NBA. The league really took off, improving what they had done in the 80s. Stars like Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon and more enchanted fans every season, earning a lot of recognition.
Things changed for a lot of players, including Hardaway. He was on another level in the first years of his career, but something went wrong after he started picking injuries. It was a good run for Lil Penny, who lived his best life in these commercials.
