Will Shaq and Penny Make Magic for the Miami Heat

Fifteen years ago, the Orlando Magic were the new kids on the block of the National Basketball Association. With dynamic young talent in Shaquille "Shaq" O'Neal and Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway, the Orlando Magic were supposed to become the new version of the Los Angeles Lakers as Magic, Kareem and James Worthy were in the twilight of their careers. What was supposed to be never occurred as the Magic and their two stars never reached the potential. But it seems the two stars have the hopes of trying to recapture that magic as they are teammates again but this time, south of Orlando for the Miami Heat.

After having the duo reach the NBA Finals while Michael Jordan was off playing baseball against the Houston Rockets, the Magic saw their duo break up when Shaq O'Neal chose the entertainment capital of the world, Los Angeles, signing a long term deal with the Lakers. Eventually, Jordan's coach in Chicago, Phil Jackson would come to LA and lead Shaquille and the game's new Jordan, Kobe Bryant to three world championships. At the same time, after a measure of success in Orlando, Penny signed with Phoenix, but his career was derailed by the most dreaded surgery in sports, the microfracture knee surgery.

With their careers headed in opposite directions the chances of them ever playing again were remote. When the 2006-2007 season passed without Penny playing a game or being on a team's roster, the chances were invisible. However, with Penny continuing to get healthier and his knee getting stronger, both in Orlando as well as home in Memphis, the possibility of him returning to the NBA increased with every pick-up game he played.

Whether it was at the Ira Samuelson Boys Club where I first met Penny in the mid-80s when both of us were not even teenagers, or at Treadwell High School down the street, Penny returned to the game he loved with the passion that made basketball purists see the next incarnation of Magic Johnson. With other players like Todd Day and Elliot Perry retired from the game, the pick-up games at Ridgeway High School in the eastern part of Memphis was as lively as any preseason basketball game could be.

If there was any way to describe Anfernee Hardaway's mental state during this time it would be one of unfinished business. Beyond the competition and the game, beyond his continual association with the University of Memphis as well as supporting former Tiger coach, Larry Finch, the one obvious stoke in his fire was the belief that he had unfinished business in the league, the NBA. Whether you talked to him at his grandmother's home in Cordova or him at his home on the greens of the TPC at Southwind, Penny Hardaway felt like he had yet to finish what he started, which was to win and NBA title and to prove that he and his game were not dead.

When Penny was injured in Phoenix, he was coming off two seasons where he had single-handedly led both the Magic and the Suns into the playoffs and nearly to improbable first round series victories with his all-around impressive play. Able to score forty points or dish out twenty assists, Penny's game was magical and best when he had someone of equal talent running beside him.

That is what made his time in Orlando with Shaquille O'Neal so productive and what forced his time in Phoenix to be such a nightmare. It's no good to make a no-look pass when the ball is not caught or the shot is hardly ever made. So when he was traded to the New York Knicks and basically left to squander, I for one, thought it was the last time I would see Penny in a uniform. From his last game at Treadwell High School to his games at the Pyramid playing for then Memphis State (now University of Memphis); I was a fan of Penny because I got to see the magic when he was just a kid growing up five minutes from the university campus in the Highland community of Memphis.

So maybe, Penny's return to the game with Shaquille is more than just about winning championships. Maybe it is simply about magic. When Shaq left Orlando, many were wondering if the two egos were big enough to exist on the same court. Both found out they are only as good as the next best player on their team. Shaq won in LA with Kobe and in Miami with Dwayne Wade. With Wade injured this season, the Heat struggled. With his wingman on the court, the Heat played an entirely different brand of basketball.

The thrill may be gone with both Shaq and Penny in their mid-30s but for lovers of the game like me, seeing one more Penny to Shaq alley-oop dunk will be magical. And with training camp opening up next week, I wish I was in South Beach so I could see the magic in person.