There is some debate about where LeBron James belongs in the rankings of the greatest players in NBA history. But the general consensus is that he belongs somewhere very high on that list.
On the other hand, there are a few people who don’t think James is at all worthy of the hype that has always surrounded him. Tim Hardaway Sr., a star guard who played in the NBA in the 1990s and early 2000s and is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, took it a step further during an appearance on “The Crossover” podcast.
He argued that he would take Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway and Grant Hill, two high-level stars from his era, over James in his prime (h/t Sports Illustrated).
“Penny had better defense. Yes (I would take Penny and Grant Hill over LeBron) in their prime,” Hardaway said. “Yeah, I’m taking both of them if it’s in their prime. Get up (as his co-host pretends to walk off set). I want to see you leave because you don’t even know who cooked Shaq (Shaquille O’Neal).”
Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway is someone who has somewhat fallen through the historical cracks, but he is a player who, when he was at his best, was a borderline superstar. His best effort came during the 1995-96 season, when he averaged 21.7 points, 7.1 assists and two steals a game and earned his second of four straight All-Star game selections.
The 6-foot-7 point guard played alongside O’Neal on the Orlando Magic for three seasons, starting with the 1993-94 campaign, and during that time, they were expected by some to become a 1990s version of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. O’Neal, of course, left to join the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996 and teamed with Kobe Bryant to win three straight NBA championships in the early 2000s.
Hardaway, meanwhile, saw his efficacy drop precipitously due to injury problems that began shortly after O’Neal’s departure. He was never the same player again.
Hill, the No. 3 pick in the 1994 draft, was thought to have a chance of being the heir apparent to Michael Jordan. He was a do-it-all 6-foot-8 forward who was considered a class act off the court, and he peaked in the 1999-2000 season when he averaged 25.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. But repeated ankle injuries and a potentially fatal infection nearly derailed his career afterward.
He was able to stay in the NBA for a total of 18 seasons, but he was relegated to being a complementary player following his injury problems.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: NBA Hall of Famer would take two lesser stars over LeBron James
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
