Penny Hardaway recalls being in awe of Michael Jordan in their first matchup

Michael Jordan's legendary status was built on his exceptional skills, unbelievable work ethic, and fierce competitive spirit. So, when he returned to the NBA after a brief retirement, some youngsters who thought they would never get the chance to face off against "Air Jordan" relished the opportunity.

Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway was one such star who looked forward to matching up against the 6'6" wingman from Wilmington, North Carolina. And as much as he looked up to MJ, Hardaway made it a point not to get carried away and end up marveling at his game instead of playing against him.

Rose to elite status

Hardaway did not take too long to elevate himself to elite status in the Association. After a stellar rookie season wherein he garnered All-Rookie Team honors and placed second to Chris Webber in the Rookie of the Year race, the 6'7" guard from Memphis took his game to a whole new level in his sophomore season.

Playing with more confidence than ever before, Penny stuffed the stat sheet to the tune of 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game, becoming an All-Star and a member of the All-NBA First Team. However, towards the tail-end of the 1994-95 season, rumors began swirling about Jordan's return to the game. And true to form, "His Airness" announced his much-anticipated return with a two-word press release that stated, "I'm back."

"I'm looking at ESPN, and they're saying, 'Michael Jordan talking about coming back.' I'm thinking, 'Man, that'd be crazy if MJ came back,'" Penny said on the "Knuckleheads" podcast.

However, the NBA landscape that MJ returned to was different from the one he ruled. For one, Penny was one of a few guys vying for the title of the best player in the league—a crown that Jordan had previously held without question.

"You gotta understand—I'm that dude in the league now. I'm in my second year, so I'm like, I got nothing but love for MJ, but I was thinking, 'Damn, it'd be great for me. It'd be great to play against him,'" Penny shared.

Had to lock in

Penny finally got his chance to take on Jordan on March 24, 1995, as the Orlando Magic visited Jordan and the Chicago Bulls at the United in a much-anticipated showdown. Although the Magic were hands down the cream of the crop in the Eastern Conference, a Bulls squad with "Money" on it was still considered the team to beat.

Showing their competitive spirit, Penny said that he, Nick Anderson, and Dennis Scott made it a point to go at the legendary wingman.

"We played him, and he had the number 45 on—he didn't have 23 on when he first came back. He had the 45 on. And we played him, and me, Nick, and Dennis, we went at his head. We were like, We're big guards; we just got to go at him," he recalled.

Although Anfernee kept his focus for most of the game, he admitted there were moments when he couldn't help but be in awe of Jordan's presence and aura. At the same time, he also had to pinch himself to keep reminding himself that he was actually playing against one of his hoop idols.

"And then in the game, watching him, I was like, 'Damn, that's MJ.' And then—snap out! You gotta snap out of that s--- quick because he'll kill you if you ain't paying attention. I'm like, Bro, you better lock in and get busy. And that's how it was," Hardaway exclaimed.

The Magic eventually won that game, 106-99, thanks to a dominant performance in the fourth quarter. Hardaway had 22 points, five rebounds, and six assists, while Jordan finished with 21 points, four boards, eight assists, five steals, and two blocks.