Former NBA star Penny Hardaway suggests league lacks element of fun

Former NBA star Penny Hardaway now devotes most of his time to the film room, practice and the sideline while guiding the Memphis men’s basketball team.

Hardaway, in his eighth year coaching the Tigers, revealed his plans for the upcoming brief holiday break.

Despite a holiday layoff from Dec. 22 through New Year’s Eve, Hardaway plans to watch 50 college games, saying on his weekly radio show that he prefers the college game over today’s NBA style.

Hardaway argued the professional ranks lack an element of fun. “It’s just not fun to watch anymore,” the four-time NBA All-Star said. “It’s just not fun to watch anymore,” the four-time NBA All-Star said.

“It’s like, over the years, to me, it’s just getting worse and worse. Not in a bad way. But for me to watch, because I’m in college, I see the fundamentals and playing team ball,” he said. “And just shooting all the 3s now is just a little irritating to me to just watch an NBA game. No one shoots layups anymore. It’s fun to watch for fans.

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“But for guys that were pure in the game, it’s a little difficult.”

Hardaway was the third overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft and the runner-up at the end of that season’s Rookie of the Year voting. While Hardaway has placed the pros on the back burner, there are still a few teams he enjoys watching.

“I do love watching (the Oklahoma City Thunder), not because they’re the best team in the NBA, but they play the game the right way,” he said. 

“(And the) Celtics, they play the game the right way. And I still enjoy watching the Grizzlies. I still like watching to see how they’re progressing. The Knicks, watching Jalen Brunson. I watch Minnesota with Anthony Edwards.”

While the advent of name, image and likeness (NIL) has been widely debated, it has undoubtedly shifted the college sports landscape. Hardaway acknowledged the changes in recent years but still concluded that college hoops’ style is more appealing than what the NBA presents.

“But I’ll take that style over the NBA,” he said.

Hardaway has guided Memphis to three consecutive NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament appearances. The Tigers enter Saturday’s visit to Mississippi State with a 4-6 record.

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