It’s rare to see a son step out of his father’s legendary shadow and build something even bigger. And when the father in question is Penny Hardaway—a 4x NBA All-Star—you can imagine how high the bar is set. And the bar? A basketball icon of the ’90s, Hardaway was always in motion, blending size, skill, and flash in a way that felt ahead of his time. Teaming up with Shaquille O’Neal on the Orlando Magic, he became the face of a new era, leading his squad to the 1995 NBA Finals and earning multiple All-Star nods before injuries dimmed his on-court brilliance. But now Penny isn’t just daydreaming about his kids topping his legacy. There’s something he sees in them that keeps the hope alive.

For those who might not know, Penny’s sons, Jayden and Ashton, have been working their way through the basketball ranks for a while now. Neither has hit NBA hardwood yet, but Penny’s eyes light up when he talks about one thing: their drive. “I can say that they both have work ethic where I don’t have to kick them in the b— and make them work out, but being a great athlete and one of the best guards to play in the NBA, it drove them to want to outdo me or be better than me, which I appreciated,” he shared. That’s something not all parents get to say, especially when the legacy looms so large.

And the pressure? It’s very real. “They are automatically trying to get up because they have this target on their backs,” he added. Every time they step on the court, someone is gunning for them, not for who they are, but for who their father was.

“All of our sons do because we played on the highest level. And that kid is gonna go, I’m gonna try you today because of your last name and what your dad did. So they felt that energy. They wanted to get to that level to defend themselves, because they knew they’re gonna have to… So I was proud that they were already driven to do it because they saw my work ethic just like how I saw,” Penny said on the podcast. Of course, passion alone doesn’t guarantee stardom.

Jayden, the older of the two, played five seasons under his father at Memphis but only averaged 3.3 points a game. Decent effort? Could be, but far from the spotlight. Especially when you compare that to Penny’s college days—he played just two seasons but made every minute count. His junior year? A jaw-dropping 22.8 points, 8.5 boards, 6.4 assists, 2.4 steals, and 1.2 blocks. No wonder he was already NBA-bound by 1993.

Meanwhile, Jayden’s professional step came when he was picked in Round 2, Pick 25, of the 2024 G-League Draft by Capital City Go-Go. A start, no doubt—but a long road ahead as he played just 1.5 minutes per game in the 2 games he appeared this season.

And then there’s Ashton. Penny Hardaway’s younger son, who also began at Memphis, averaged 2.3 points in his freshman season. He moved to Saint Mary’s for a fresh start just the next season, but only managed 2.1 points there. Now, he’s looking back to his father to help find his footing again.

Penny Hardaway’s son, Ashton, to return to the Memphis Tigers

Ashton is making his way back to Memphis basketball for the 2025-26 season, as he revealed on social media Saturday. In his recent stint with the Gaels, Hardaway saw action in 33 games. While his role was limited, he managed to average 9.6 minutes, 2.1 points, and 1.2 rebounds per game. The 20-year-old also knocked down 31 percent of his shots from beyond the arc—a number he’ll surely look to improve as he gears up for another chapter in Memphis.

Believe it or not, this is now the third time a player has left Memphis only to find their way back. Remember guard Tyler Harris? He kicked things off at Memphis, then took a detour to Iowa State before returning for a season, ultimately wrapping up his college career at South Florida. And center Moussa Cisse followed a similar path—starting at Memphis, moving to Oklahoma State, then Ole Miss, before circling back for his senior season in 2024-25.

As for Ashton, he made a memorable splash early in his first run with the Tigers, scoring 17 points and sinking five 3-pointers against Michigan. But after that, he never quite found the same rhythm again. Now the question is—can Ashton thrive under his father’s leadership once more and chase a dream that’s deeply personal? That ambition to not just follow but surpass his father’s NBA legacy is something Penny Hardaway knows his sons are hungry for.