Tracy McGrady credited former Orlando Magic star Penny Hardaway as a pivotal influence on his career, explaining that meeting the four-time All-Star guard helped shape his path to NBA stardom.
In a recent appearance on Gilbert Arenas’ Gil’s Arena, McGrady reflected on Hardaway’s impact during his teenage years in Central Florida.
“I was a Pippen fan, I was a Magic Johnson fan, I liked big guards,” McGrady said. “But when Penny came to Orlando, that's different. Growing up 30 minutes from there, right? This is my favorite team at the time, I'm in high school, and I identified right away with his skill set, his personality, everything.”
Hardaway emerged in the 1990s as one of the NBA’s most electrifying guards, pairing with Shaquille O’Neal to lead Orlando to the 1995 NBA Finals. His blend of size, court vision, and scoring ability inspired many young players, including McGrady.
“Just quiet, laid-back, quiet killer. To see how he moved and how he played was poetry in motion,” McGrady said. “So smooth, the IQ, the vision, the passing ability, being able to score inside, outside, left hand, right hand, left shoulder, right shoulder, everything you wanted from a basketball player. He was the prototype.”
McGrady entered the NBA as the No. 9 overall pick in the 1997 draft by the Toronto Raptors. After three seasons in Toronto, he returned home to Florida in 2000, joining the Magic on a seven-year, $92.8 million contract through a sign-and-trade. His decision to wear the No. 1 jersey — previously donned by Hardaway — underscored the connection between the two players.
Tracy McGrady says meeting Magic’s Penny Hardaway sparked his Hall of Fame career
The seven-time All-Star recalled a defining personal moment when Hardaway welcomed him into his home as a teenager.
“I'm 17 years old, dog. When I go back to Penny's crib, that sh—t, it did something to me. It opened the door, man. I'm looking at my idol, dog. I just couldn't believe that I'm at Penny fu—in Hardaway's crib,” McGrady said.
“He's right in front of me, dog. Like this is somebody, how a Michael Jordan fan looks at MJ, this is how I looked at Penny Hardaway. And I'm at his house, so that impacted me,” he continued. “To this day, Penny is like my dude, my brother. I love him just for that reason, allowing me to come to his crib, cuz that impacted me moving forward in my career.”
During his four-year tenure with Orlando, McGrady became one of the league’s premier scorers and earned back-to-back scoring titles in 2003 and 2004. Though Hardaway’s career was slowed by injuries, McGrady’s comments highlighted the enduring influence the Magic guard had on the next generation of players.
For McGrady, the chance to meet his idol as a teenager was more than a personal milestone—it was the spark that helped propel him to a Hall of Fame career.
