Penny Hardaway Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics

Penny Hardaway is a former American professional basketball player who became the coach of the college basketball team Memphis Tigers in 2018. He was an accomplished player in his time and featured in the NBA All-Star game from 1995 to 1998. During his career, Penny featured as a point guard/shooting guard for NBA teams like Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, and Miami Heat. He also won an Olympic Gold Medal with the United States’ senior national basketball team at the 1996 Atlanta games.

Sun Sign

Cancer

Residence

Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Position

Shooting Guard / Point Guard

Shirt Number

1, 7, 25

Girlfriend / Spouse

Penny has dated –

1. Latarsha McCray (1990–2006) – Penny had a long relationship with his high school girlfriend, Latarsha. They have 3 children together – a son named Jayden (b. 2000), and 2 daughters named LaTanfernee (b. 1992), and Layla (b.2005). They separated in 2006.

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

• Sports a goatee
• Lanky frame
• Has a tattoo of a ‘bulldog’ above his left ankle
• Has tattoos marked ‘Part II, Heaven Cent’ on his left bicep, and ‘The Storm is Over’ on his right arm

Brand Endorsements

Penny has starred in Nike‘s advertising campaign titled Lil Penny which featured an alter ego puppet of Penny, voiced by comedian .

He has served as a spokesperson for brands such as –

• Nike
• Sprite
• Post Cereals
• Hillshire Farms
• Sony PlayStation

Penny Hardaway Favorite Things

• Shoe – Nike’s Zoom Rookie
• Basketball Player –

Source –

Penny Hardaway Facts

1. Penny’s first name, Anfernee was adopted from one of his mother’s schoolmates.
2. His nickname, Penny, was a result of his maternal grandmother Louise affectionately calling him ‘Pretty’ in a heavy southern accent. He spent a lot of time in his childhood in the care of Louise as his mother had left Memphis in 1974 and moved to work in Oakland, California.
3. Penny’s first passion was football but his grandmother often deterred him from playing it for the fear of injuries. As a teenager, he would often referee youth sports at the Memphis Y.M.C.A. He also played basketball for the Memphis Y.M.C.A. Junior Olympic team.
4. For his prolific play while at high school, he was named “National High School Player of the Year” by Parade Magazine.
5. Penny had to miss out on the 1990–91 season in college as he was academically ineligible. During this tough time, he was robbed at gunpoint outside his cousin’s house and was accidentally shot in his foot, putting his career in danger.
6. He started his professional NBA career in 1993 and made an immediate impact, getting named in the 1994 “NBA All-Rookie First Team”. In 1994, the University of Memphis retired the jersey number 25 in his honor.
7. Penny and his Orlando Magic teammate portrayed college freshmen and basketball players in the 1994 feature film Blue Chips.
8. At the 1996 Olympic Games, Penny was a key performer for the United States, scoring 14 points against Brazil in the quarterfinal and 17 points in a winning cause in the Gold Medal match against Yugoslavia.
9. Penny is known to promote sports in his hometown of Memphis. In 2010, he helped in the revival of a summer basketball league named the Bluff City Classic. He has also helped provide funding for the construction of the University of Memphis’s Sports Hall of Fame.
10. In 2011, he was appointed the coach of his alma mater, Lester Middle School. He coached the school’s team, Lester Lions, to the West Tennessee State title.
11. Penny was featured in the 2015 ESPN documentary titled This Magic Moment which focused on the Orlando Magic team of the 1990s.
12. He owns a barbershop, a turf business, and a beauty salon in Memphis.
13. He also has a black belt in Taekwondo.

Featured Image by Penny Hardaway / Instagram