
It has been said that Anfernee Hardaway got the name Anfernee because his mother couldn’t pronounce Anthony correctly and doctor registered the name Anfernee when he asked for the baby’s name. However this is not true, Hardaway’s mother, Fae Hardaway, has clarified that the reason she choose the name for her son was because she went to high school with a boy name Anfernee and she always thought it was a beautiful name.
Hardaway got his nickname ‘Penny’ during childhood, from his grandmother Louise Hardaway, who called him ‘Pretty’, but because of her southern accent it sounded like Penny.
In the mid-90’s, Hardaway was an NBA superstar and would have success early in his career, including being named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in his rookie year. He also earned All-NBA First Team honors during the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons, All-NBA Third Team in the 1996-97 season, and was selected as an NBA All-Star four times (1995-98). He also won an gold medal as a member of the USA basketball team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
After suffering a knee injury during the 1998 season, Hardaway was never quite the same player, and constant struggles with knee injuries diminished his athleticism and explosiveness.