Penny Hardaway wonders why nobody seemed to get why he was hurting

Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway never blew out his knee. He didn't gain 97 pounds during an NBA lockout, and he didn't give up on the game following the signing of a massive contract extension. All he did was work as the all-world point guard for a team that made the NBA Finals in his second year, and rightfully run as an MVP candidate (up against a healthy Michael Jordan, mind you) for the first few months of his third season. Silly him. Then Hardaway dealt with a series of knee issues that crippled his career before it could ascend to Hall of Fame levels. Sure, he was around to ply his trade with the Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, and New York Knicks for years following his setbacks; but he never took on that franchise player mantle that his athletic gifts and intellect suggested (read: screamed). And because he never tore up his knee in some dramatic, Joe Theismann-esque fashion, nobody seemed to take his struggles seriously. Perhaps this recent interview with SLAM Maga...