‘This guy is different’ – LeBron James names Penny Hardaway as the player other than Michael Jordan he loved watching

LeBron James is on the favourite player list of many NBA fans around the world, but growing up, even he had names that got him excited about playing the game of basketball.

During the recent episode of Mind the Game podcast, James was asked a fan question about his favourite players growing up and he had two names – Michael Jordan and Penny Hardaway.

Now it must be shocking for many that James picked Jordan as his favourite player because the two are often pitted against each other in the G.O.A.T debate, but the 41-year-old has always had respect for the superstar.

His second pick was Penny Hardaway and he elaborated on what made the former Orlando Magic star a special player to watch.

LeBron James reveals his childhood friend got him interested in Penny Hardaway’s game

Penny Hardaway had a 14-year NBA career where he played for teams like the Magic, Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks and the Miami Heat. He was especially known for his time in Orlando, as he played alongside Shaquille O’Neal and helped the franchise make it to the NBA Finals in 1995.

This was around the same time James was slowly developing an interest in the game of basketball.

“When I watched him (Penny Hardaway) play at Memphis… I had never seen someone with that height, they say Magic was like that but I wasn’t watching the league like that but the way he played, I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, this guy is different,’ Behind the back passes, between the legs he was shifting, cross dribbles,” said James on Mind the Game podcast.

“I was a Michael Jordan fanatic but my brother not my blood brother, but like the guy I grew up with actually Brandon Weems who became the GM of the Cavs last week, he spoke the gospel about Penny Hardaway and he actually got me into Penny Hardaway.”

James also said in the same episode that while MJ inspired him, he shaped his game after Hardaway and another Magic star, Grant Hill.

Both of these players put the ball in the basket with a lot of skill, standing at 6 feet 7 and 6 feet 8 inches. They were special, and although injuries hampered their careers, many, like James, took inspiration from them for their brilliance.