Penny Hardaway Height, Weight, Wingspan, Position, Draft, DOB, and more

Last Updated on August 7, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Penny Hardaway was one of the most electrifying and versatile guards of the 1990s, combining exceptional size with dazzling ball-handling, court vision, and effortless scoring ability. Although injuries altered the trajectory of his career, his brilliance at his peak left an enduring mark on the NBA and secured his place among the era’s most memorable stars.

Here’s a detailed profile of basketballer Penny Hardaway:

Player Profile

Full Name: Anfernee Deon Hardaway
Nickname: Penny
Nationality: American
Age: Born July 18, 1971
Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee
Height: 6 feet 7 inches (201 cm)
Weight: 215 lbs (98 kg)
Wingspan: 6 feet 11 inches (210 cm)
Shoe Size: 14 (US)
Shoe Brand: Nike Lil Penny Posite, Nike Air Half Cent, Nike Air Zoom Rookie, Nike Air Penny 6, Nike Air Penny 5, Nike Air Zoom BB, Nike Zoom Huarache 2k4, Nike Zoom Flight 2k3, Nike Air Flight Determination, Nike Air Penny 4, Nike Air Penny 3, Nike Air Foamposite 1, Nike Air Penny 2, Nike Flight Zoom 96, Nike Air Penny 1, Nike Air Go LWP, Nike Air Up, Nike Air Lambaste, Nike Air Flight 1, Reebok Pump Vertical, Air Jordan 9 Penny Hardaway PE, Nike Air Prevail, Nike Air Swift
Number: 1 (Magic), 1 (Suns), 1 (Knicks), 7 (Heat)
Position: Point Guard / Shooting Guard
Draft: 1993 NBA Draft, 1st round, 3rd overall pick by the Golden State Warriors (traded to the Orlando Magic)
College: University of Memphis (formerly Memphis State University)
High School: Treadwell High School, Memphis, Tennessee
NBA Championships (Rings): 0
Children (Kids): 3 (Jayden, LaTanfernee, and Ashton)
Siblings: 1 sister, Denise Hardaway
Teams Played For:
- Orlando Magic (1993–1999)
- Phoenix Suns (1999–2004)
- New York Knicks (2004–2006)
- Miami Heat (2007)

Player Archetype / Play Style

Penny Hardaway’s player archetype was that of a jumbo lead guard, a tall primary creator who could run an offense like a point guard while carrying the shot-making burden of a wing. Standing 6-foot-7 and 195 pounds, Hardaway paired unusual size for the position with long strides, smooth handle, and rare court vision, which made him dangerous as a pick-and-roll initiator, transition playmaker, and late-clock scorer. Defensively, he had the length and mobility to check either backcourt spot and bother passing lanes, while offensively he operated as a high-level facilitator who could also get to his pull-up, finish creatively, and punish defenses when they overplayed his passing. His overall play style blended elegance with control: a fluid, versatile floor general who played with pace, imagination, and matchup-warping size. (Basketball Reference)

Scouting Report

Penny Hardaway played with a patience that almost dared defenders to make the first mistake. At his size, he could see passing lanes that most guards never had access to, but what made him special wasn’t simply the vision—it was how long he was willing to wait before delivering the ball. He’d drift off a high pick-and-roll with long, effortless strides, keep the weak-side defender occupied with his eyes, then slip a pass to the roller or fire a skip pass to the opposite corner just as the defense committed. If nobody helped, he’d glide all the way to the rim, where his length allowed him to finish without needing to explode through contact. That’s the part that often gets overlooked. His athleticism looked smooth rather than violent, so it was easy to underestimate how much ground he covered in only a couple of steps. Defensively, he had the tools to disrupt multiple positions, using his reach to crowd ball handlers, jump passing lanes, and contest shots from unexpected angles, although there were stretches where stronger wings could move him physically and his engagement away from the ball wasn’t always as sharp as his on-ball possessions. The trade-off was that he sometimes trusted his natural gifts enough to pass up simpler plays in search of a better one, but the reward was an offense that constantly felt on the verge of producing an easy basket because he manipulated help defenders so naturally. I’ve always thought Hardaway fit best beside another perimeter scorer who could attack the attention he generated, allowing him to alternate between primary creator and oversized secondary playmaker without changing his approach. To me, his game sits somewhere between Grant Hill and Luka Dončić—not in terms of identical style, but in the way he blended size, tempo, vision, and controlled shot creation to make the defense react on his terms rather than its own.

Notes:

Similar players to Penny Hardaway include Tracy McGrady and Magic Johnson.
Penny Hardaway was 6 feet 7 inches as a Sophomore. By eighth grade, he was 5 feet 11 inches. The following year, he was 6 feet 3 inches. He then grew from 6 feet 3 inches to 6 feet 7 inches between his ninth-grade and tenth-grade years.

Fun Facts

He loves coaching basketball and has coached the Memphis Tigers college team for many years.
He played basketball for the Memphis Tigers as a boy and that is why he went back and coached them later.
He turned down a deal from Converse to sign with Nike instead because he preferred the Nike brand.
He was one of the first tall point guards to show great ball-handling skills and the ability to be a floor general.
He played with Shaq in Orlando, but Shaq left because management called it Penny’s team, a decision he later regretted. When they were older, Shaq apologized to Penny for the way he left.