Penny Hardaway is one of the few who can boast of having won against Michael Jordan in the playoffs. He had immense talent, and more could have been seen if only injuries hadn’t cut his time short. Many compared the retired NBA player in his prime to one of the most iconic players—Magic Johnson. Needless to say, the Lakers legend had a great impact on him. Years later, Hardaway still raves about what a skilled player Johnson was on the court.

When asked about the best point guard once, Hardaway didn’t hesitate and named Magic first before mentioning others, which included Stephen Curry, Gary Payton, and more. So, when Hardaway was asked to share the impact Johnson had on him, he passionately discussed how Johnson is the only one great enough to have influenced his game.

“It was strictly Magic for me because [of] how he approached the game. Talk about a fierce competitor; talking about somebody that was happy to make everybody else better. [I’m] talking about somebody that was going on to win at all costs. Champion! Did whatever [it] took. Played five spots in the NBA. Who can say one guy [that] played five spots like that throughout his career? And he was a PG. [A] 6’9” PG!” Hardaway shared on Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis.

A tall player for the role of point guard was unheard of until 6’9″ Johnson stepped into the game. Did you know that when Hardaway entered the league, he was called “the next Magic” by many people because of how much his playing style as a tall point guard reminded them of Johnson?

“He had all the shots he developed the sky hook; He posted up. He made, I mean, it was just ridiculous! So for me, it was Magic all the way man. Just watching him (was) amazing,” Hardaway futher added.

But was watching him the only thing Penny did? Well, given that Johnson retired early in 1991 after his HIV diagnosis, several opportunities that could have seen the former Orlando Magic star go against his idol were lost.

The two, however, did meet.

How many times have Penny Hardaway and Magic Johnson battled against each other?

The Los Angeles Lakers legend indeed left in 1991, but he did return for another season in 1995. The 5x NBA champion was 35 at the time. He wasn’t in his prime. But battling against his idol was what Hardaway was looking forward to. The two played against each other in 2 games in the regular season. Well, they might have met even before that.

Remember the Olympics? The 1992 Dream Team? The most star-studded roster featured Johnson, Jordan, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, and several other talented and iconic players.

But so many brewing talents were of no help if they didn’t play like a team. The roster quickly faced a sharp check when a team of collegiate rising stars handed them defeat. And Hardaway was on that team.

Before the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the Dream Team had to face the Select Team. And it was a tough one. The roster featured Penny, Grant Hill, Chris Webber, Allan Houston, Eric Montross, Rodney Rogers, Jamal Mashburn, and more. While the Dream Team had more experience, they had no idea what the Select Team was capable of, and they were defeated. 

Hardaway once recalled his experience with the Select Team and shared what it was like. “You can’t tell us, ‘Oh, we ain’t have Michael on the floor—that’s why y’all won.’ You got Magic, you got Clyde Drexler, you got Scottie Pippen, you got all these dudes, right? These are Hall of Famers, our idols,” he recounted on The Knuckleheads podcast.

Hardaway might not have reached Johnson’s level of talent due to his injuries, but his contribution and talent are still praised.