Former NBA star Penny Hardaway suggests league lacks element of fun

Former NBA prima Penny Hardaway present devotes astir of his clip to the movie room, signifier and the sideline portion guiding the Memphis men’s hoops team.

Hardaway, successful his eighth twelvemonth coaching the Tigers, revealed his plans for the upcoming little vacation break.

Despite a vacation layoff from Dec. 22 done New Year's Eve, Hardaway plans to ticker 50 assemblage games, saying connected his play vigor amusement that helium prefers the assemblage crippled implicit today's NBA style.

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Memphis Tigers caput manager Penny Hardaway looks connected against the Tulane Green Wave during the semifinal crippled of the American Athletic Conference Tournament astatine the Dickies Arena successful Forth Worth, Texas connected March 11, 2023.  (Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Hardaway argued the nonrecreational ranks deficiency an constituent of fun. "It’s conscionable not amusive to ticker anymore," the four-time NBA All-Star said. "It’s conscionable not amusive to ticker anymore," the four-time NBA All-Star said.

"It’s like, implicit the years, to me, it’s conscionable getting worse and worse. Not successful a atrocious way. But for maine to watch, due to the fact that I’m successful college, I spot the fundamentals and playing squad ball," helium said. "And conscionable shooting each the 3s present is conscionable a small irritating to maine to conscionable ticker an NBA game. No 1 shoots layups anymore. It’s amusive to ticker for fans.

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"But for guys that were axenic successful the game, it’s a small difficult."

Hardaway was the 3rd wide prime successful the 1993 NBA Draft and the runner-up astatine the extremity of that season's Rookie of the Year voting. While Hardaway has placed the pros connected the backmost burner, determination are inactive a fewer teams helium enjoys watching.

Head manager Penny Hardaway of the Memphis Tigers reacts during the 2nd fractional against the Houston Cougars astatine FedExForum connected March 5, 2023 successful Memphis, Tennessee. (Justin Ford/Getty Images)

"I bash emotion watching (the Oklahoma City Thunder), not due to the fact that they’re the champion squad successful the NBA, but they play the crippled the close way," helium said. 

"(And the) Celtics, they play the crippled the close way. And I inactive bask watching the Grizzlies. I inactive similar watching to spot however they’re progressing. The Knicks, watching Jalen Brunson. I ticker Minnesota with Anthony Edwards."

Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway (1) of the Phoenix Suns during the NBA crippled against the Los Angeles Lakers astatine Staples Center connected Jan. 5, 2003 successful Los Angeles, California. (Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

While the advent of name, representation and likeness (NIL) has been wide debated, it has undoubtedly shifted the assemblage sports landscape. Hardaway acknowledged the changes successful caller years but inactive concluded that assemblage hoops’ benignant is much appealing than what the NBA presents.

"But I’ll instrumentality that benignant implicit the NBA," helium said.

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Hardaway has guided Memphis to 3 consecutive NCAA Division I men’s hoops tourney appearances. The Tigers participate Saturday’s sojourn to Mississippi State with a 4-6 record.

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