Penny Hardaway has been through a lot in his famous basketball career, but nothing could have prepared him for this. The Memphis coach watched as his Tigers fell apart spectacularly against South Florida on Thursday, missing 19 straight field goals in a shocking collapse that left the four-time NBA All-Star fighting back tears after the 87-66 loss. It was almost too much for a man who once guided the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals to see his old school have its worst season ever while he was in charge.

CBSSports posted a video that showed a lot of raw emotion. “I wanted that game, bro. You know what I’m saying?” Hardaway said. “I just wanted the game.” The 54-year-old wouldn’t give up on his team, even though Memphis had lost three games in a row. “I’m just gonna keep grinding with my guys and believing in them. That’s what I’m gonna do. It’s tough. We’ve never been here before, but it’s not impossible,” added Hardaway.

The numbers show why Hardaway was about to break down during a three-minute interview that school officials cut short. Memphis was ahead 21-16 early on, but they missed 19 straight shots over a painful 12:04 stretch in the first half. Hardaway said he had never seen anything like that before in his career. The Tigers only made 33% of their shots and were out-rebounded 52-39. They were down by 23 points, but with eight minutes left, they cut it to 12. Then, as their student section yelled insults, USF pulled away again.

Fans of Memphis are seeing their worst nightmare come true. Once considered the American Conference favorites before the season started, the Tigers are now in eighth place with a 12-14 record. Hardaway is a legend in his hometown, but after eight years, people are starting to talk more and more about a coaching change. His emotional breakdown showed how much he cares, but that might not be enough to keep him from losing his job.

Basketball fans are divided over Penny Hardaway’s emotional breakdown

As the video of Hardaway fighting back tears spread on social media, fans who saw a coaching legend at his most vulnerable moment reacted. Some people felt sorry for him, while others said that his time in Memphis was running out.

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“Great coach,” said one fan, acknowledging Hardaway’s reputation despite the team’s rough season. One more person said, “Damn… Penny knows it’s over. Hopefully, he gets to coach at another school.”

“Penny might be finished after this season. They’re not buying in anymore,” said another reaction, which pointed to problems that went beyond just losing games, which made people wonder if Hardaway had lost the locker room, even though he was emotionally invested.

A user said, “True Leader not throwing his players under the bus,” praising Hardaway for not blaming his players for the team’s failure. Instead of criticizing his players like Curtis Givens III, Julius Thedford, or Aaron Bradshaw, he shouldered the blame.

The reaction “Damn penny” demonstrated that many people watching a Memphis icon face his challenges felt completely powerless. Penny Hardaway’s emotional display made the difficulties of coaching at the highest level seem more real. The tears he shed showed his deep dedication to Memphis basketball, while his fanbase was split between sympathy for his plight and curiosity about his future.