How Penny Hardaway 'sold himself' to Shaq on the set of Blue Chips: 'Every time Shaq raises hand that ball was coming to him'

Maybe one of the most promising one-two punches that never fully reached their potential were Shaquille O'Neal and Anfernee Penny Hardaway. At the time, Penny was coming out of college as one of the top 2 prospects, and O'Neal was already dominating the league in his typical style in the Orlando Magic jersey. However, it was obvious the big guy needed some help.

That help was supposed to come in the form of the first pick in the 1993 NBA Draft, which the Magic held. The dilemma, however, was between the 6'7" Memphis University product and Chris Webber, the super-talented forward from the iconic Michigan Fab Five.

Making the most out of the movie set

Fortunately for Penny, he had a unique opportunity to showcase his talent during the filming of the movie "Blue Chips" alongside none other than Shaq, thus influencing his draft stock.

By sharing the set with the Orlando center, Hardaway made sure to give a "sneak peek" of what it would be like if the duo joined forces in the Association. Of course, knowing the influence of "Diesel" in the franchise, Penny did everything to ensure his big man was happy, so he used his time on the movie set to "sell" his game to both Magic and their superstar center.

"I saw him again during Blue Chips. Let me tell y'all where I had my strategy at," Hardaway recalled in his latest appearance on the "Knuckleheads Podcast."

"Me and Shaq together can be like Magic and Kareem. So, when I went to the movie, I took advantage of every single day. Every time Shaq raises hand that ball was coming to him. Boom! He wasn't even looking for it. I didn't take one shot the whole summer. I gotta keep doing this. I was out dishing it, I had to get it done," the 6'7" guard added.

Shaq went to the Lakers, Penny got injured

Although Orlando selected Webber as the first pick in the '93 Draft, everyone knew a trade was coming that would send the forward to the Golden State Warriors, with Hardaway heading in the opposite direction. It turned out that the strategy of letting the big man eat on the movie set was successful for Penny, who arrived at his desired destination to try to conquer the league with a dominant center, who also wanted the Memphis product by his side.

This dynamic duo started firing on all cylinders right out of the gate. And in their second season, they were knocking on the door of winning the Larry O'Brien trophy. However, their overconfidence after making it to the franchise's first-ever Finals backfired. The more experienced Houston Rockets, led by MVP Hakeem Olajuwon, clean-swept them and gave them a harsh reality check.

It seemed that this young core would dominate the league for many years and return to the biggest stage with more experience under their belts. However, that was not the case. After a dispute with the Magic front office over his contract in 1996, Shaq decided to seek his fortune in the City of Angels with the Los Angeles Lakers, while Penny's recurring injuries derailed a career that had promised so much.