Penny Hardaway recounts his reaction when Michael Jordan wore his sneakers in 1995 on #NBAHooperVision
It was 1995. Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The upstart Orlando Magic, led by Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway, was hosted by the Chicago Bulls with a one-game draw series. It’s when something historic goes down, a once-in-a-lifetime event, a scenario many would never expect or predict.
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The great Michael Jordan, for the first and only time in his NBA career, wore a pair of shoes dedicated to a Player that wasn’t his at a game – Hardaway’s NIKE Air Flight Ones.
Letting him put on my shoes, I tripped,” Hardaway shared while joining hosts Jamal Crawford and Quentin Richardson on #NBAHooperVision.
The Nike Air Flight One was a line of sneakers worn by the 6-foot-8 point guard during his first two seasons in the league before he switched to his signature Nike Air Penny line.
According to reports, Jordan was fined $5000 by the NBA for wearing his Concords white because it violated the league’s uniform guidelines.
With no Concords black ready for Game 3, the Bulls legend borrowed a pair from Hardaway. With his competitive flare, he removed the custom “1 Cent” on the heel of each shoe, which should surprise no one.
In those sneakers, Jordan burst onto the scene with a series of 40 high points even though the Magic walked away with a 110-101 victory.
When he entered the league, Hardaway was touted as the next best superstar but things didn’t go well as injury ruined his career and he was an inspiration to many like Tracy McGrady and Crawford himself.
He’s not the first high point guard in the league but he’s certainly the smooth shot highest point guard to have taken down an NBA deck.
On NBAHooperVision, paying homage to his predecessors, he also shared his inspirations.
NBAHooperVision is a new stream available on the NBA League Pass hosted by Crawford and Richardson. In addition to providing their own commentary and analysis, they also welcome former players of the game as guests.
