Had Shaquille O’Neal not left for the Lakers, his former Orlando Magic teammate might have had a championship title to his name. Both Shaq and ‘His Airness’ were in awe of the 4x NBA All-Star’s fearlessness and praised him for it. It’s rare to see MJ commend an opponent to whom he once lost, but with that came bold claims. Could the NBA legend in question have been better than Michael Jordan?  

Despite the risk of being criticized on social media, former UCLA Bruins player Trevor Ariza shared his take. Although MJ never said it, a few NBA personalities, including Ariza, believe Penny Hardaway was better than MJ. However, it was for a short time. Ariza claimed that Hardaway outperformed Jordan during the period right after MJ returned from his first retirement. 

“When he (MJ) came back when he was four five, Penny was better than Michael Jordan…he was more a killer than him,” Ariza said on Uninterrupted. The disbelief among the hosts Iman and Ahrrii Shumpert was evident.

The Chicago Bulls legend had come back from a brief stint in minor league baseball and was sporting jersey number 45. This was in the 1995 NBA playoffs when the Magic handed the Bulls an unexpected 4-2 defeat, with Nick Anderson’s clutch steal of Jordan being a memorable highlight. 

So, was Hardaway really better than Jordan? The Bulls legend’s stats did drop to 26.9 points off 41.1% shooting from the field alongside 6.9 rebounds and five assists once he returned, and Hardway was having one of his better seasons. But he couldn’t surpass MJ in scoring. With 20.9 points and 4.4 rebounds, he fell short statistically, though he soared in assists and field goal % with 7.2 and 51.2 respectively. 

So there wouldn’t be a definitive answer. However, one thing is certain, while many others were intimidated by MJ, Hardaway had a very different mindset. He respected Jordan, but when they faced off, he never backed down.

Penny Hardaway was amazed to see Michael Jordan’s competitiveness 

In the 90s, Hardaway was a legendary player who revolutionized the role of bigger point guards in the game. Not many can boast that they rivaled Jordan. With O’Neal by his side, the Orlando Magic were unstoppable. The Los Angeles Lakers legend once revealed how Hardaway’s strong mindset influenced him when facing a formidable opponent like MJ.

Later, in an interview, Hardaway expressed his regret about how he might have had a chance to win a championship title if he had O’Neal by his side. In an interview on the Point Guard Podcast, Hardaway recalled the intensity of the Chicago Bulls legend Jordan’s competitiveness. 

“He was a master of his craft, you know he worked on the same shot, the same moves, tirelessly in the unseen hours. When he got into the game, everything was effortless,” Hardaway said. Ultimately, Jordan made a comeback, defeating Hardaway and the Magic in 1996, and went on to dominate for two more seasons.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.