"MJ only had so many years left": Penny Hardaway on potential NBA championships with Shaquille O'Neal if he never left for the Lakers
Memphis Tigers coach Penny Hardaway appeared on the "Knuckleheads" podcast on Tuesday and talked about several topics. One segment that caught the attention of many was when he discussed with hosts Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles how many championships he and NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal could've won together.
"I know one for sure, without any injuries," Hardaway said (1:30:00). "Shaq was just so dominant, man. You can say two. But, you know one for sure because that was happening, coming. Sometimes, you can break things up too soon, and I think Shaq wishes he would not have broken up so soon because he still could've went to the Lakers later."
O'Neal left Hardaway and Orlando in 1996 to form a dominant duo with the up-and-coming Kobe Bryant with the LA Lakers as they accomplished a historic championship three-peat from 2000 to 2002. Hardaway went on to talk about how he and O'Neal were at the cusp of winning a ring.
"We were on our way because MJ (Michael Jordan) only had so many years left," Hardaway said (1:30:40). Once that happened, we would have just kept getting pieces and been able to build something. The way that we had already played and was playing, one would've been the minimum."
Jordan went on to win six championships in eight years in the 1990s. His last one came in the 1997-1998 season, which Hardaway mentioned was at the tail end of Jordan's prime.
While it's tough for the former All-Star guard to have never won an NBA title, his focus has shifted to coaching the Memphis Tigers in the hopes of giving the program a championship with his unparalleled playing experience.
Now in his sixth year with the Tigers, Hardaway has steered them to a 9-3 record. Looking to improve their standing, No. 21-ranked Memphis will next face the No.17-ranked Ole Miss Rebels on Dec. 28.
Penny Hardaway says him and Shaq were unstoppable on both the back and frontcourt
Penny Hardaway expressed how he and Shaquille O'Neal might have been able to give Orlando several championships before O'Neal left for the LA Lakers.
"That's the level we were on," Hardaway said (1:31:00). "We were the best at our positions in the league and we were dominant. You keep adding pieces around that, it was only going to be a matter of time."
They are considered by many as one of the best duos in league history and had they continued playing together, could've changed NBA history.