Michael Jordan dominated the league in almost every aspect. The high-flying dunks and insane dribble moves razzle-dazzled fans and even opposing team players on the floor. But before Jordan became the epitome of hangtime, one person who did it before him was Philadelphia 76ers legend, Julius Erving. Erving’s reverse layup is still iconic to this day.

Before Jordan came into the league, Erving was considered one of the most electrifying players in the league. There were surely other players who were just as dominant as Erving. But only Jordan was able to match his athleticism.

The next best player, according to Michael Jordan

At that time in the NBA, there was Larry Bird with his deadly shooting and Magic Johnson with his court vision plus basketball IQ. However, Jordan managed to dominate almost every other category on the floor. Be it offense or defense.

Michael Jordan once sat down with Dr. J and talked about taking the torch from him and then passing it on to the next generation of players. And the recipient of the torch wasn’t Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, or LeBron James, according to MJ.

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In fact, Jordan’s pick was Penny Hardaway. MJ said, “Hardaway is a great pick because of versatility and the things he can do with the ball, without the ball, defensively you know. To make his surrounding players better.”

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“Everyone says Grant Hill. I think Grant Hill is very similar to you, to Scottie Pippen. You see the passing of the torch to the next generation but I ain’t ready to give him that yet,” Jordan added while talking to Erving.

Anfernee Hardaway, better known as Penny Hardaway, was the third overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft. Hardaway was a 6’7 point guard who also played the shooting guard and small forward position. The then-phenom was touted to be the next Magic Johnson because of his tremendous potential. However, a season-ending knee injury in the 1997-98 season ended up cutting his career short.

What happened to Penny Hardaway?

Hardaway was an All-Star for all four years before that. But after his knee injury, he was just not able to return to his original form. Hardaway’s level of play dropped drastically. He lost his speed and athleticism. And he was just not that explosive player anymore. After his initial injury, Hardaway constantly dealt with knee issues for the duration of his career.

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He only played 14 seasons and finally retired after the 2007-08 season. He also started to develop issues with his feet later on. It’s unfortunate that Jordan’s pick could not live up to the expectations. Hardaway would’ve gone on to have an amazing career only if injuries had not cut his time in the NBA short.