?That Motherf*Cker Was Cold?: Unbothered by Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, NBA Legend Felt Michael Jordan Was Mirrored by One Player

If we ask basketball players about their personal favorites, it will generally be easy to guess the answer. Because there would be the inevitable Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar staple on their list. However, NBA legend, Tracy McGrady worshipped and idolized another player. Even Jordan gave this player a lot of credit and respected how he played the game.

In a recent podcast appearance, Tracy McGrady revealed that Penny Hardaway became his idol and his inspiration. He declared that he saw himself in Hardaway. McGrady told that he couldn’t let Hardaway down. He went as far as to declare that the NBA legend was Michael Jordan for him personally.

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“That motherf*cker was cold,” exclaimed McGrady during the interview. He said everything about Hardaway was inspirational. He repeated that he couldn’t let his God down. The former Orlando Magic star then proceeded to compare Hardaway with His Airness himself, Michael Jordan. In addition, he revealed that he has developed a habit for not tolerating any criticism or slander on Hardaway’s name. That’s where he draws the line.

McGrady was given the honor of wearing the No.1 jersey for the Orlando Magic. He was following in the footsteps of the legendary Penny Hardaway. Anfernee Deon “Penny” Hardaway was a former basketball player and currently serves as the head coach to the Memphis Tigers.

Hardaway was McGrady’s personal Michael Jordan?

Tracy McGrady shared an incident where he went to see Michael Jordan during a playoff. McGrady recalled that Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman came out to play. But he described Michael Jordan to be “glowing”. The panel erupted into laughter, after his comment.

He circled back to his point and stated that Hardaway had the same effect on him. His presence uplifted the Hall of Famer. He shared that he still shares a bond with Penny Hardaway.

Hardaway was a versatile player and threatened a lot of players on the court. His skills were often associated with Jordan and Magic Johnson. Jordan also publicly applauded Hardaway for his efforts during the 1995 playoffs. This reinforced both his performance and reaffirmed what Tracy McGrady said.

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This was not the first time that McGrady has been vocal about his admiration towards Hardaway. He had reiterated his sentiments of Hardaway being his “Michael Jordan growing up”.

If not for his injuries, Penny Hardaway could have easily dominated the court and logged in more records. But even with a relatively short stint, he managed to inspire a whole bunch of players. And for Tracy McGrady, it was more than an inspiration. He put Hardaway on a pedestal.