Shaq Says Penny Was Every Bit As Good As Kobe

[Jplaya2023]

You can’t even compare the two. Penny played like a true pg. Not like todays pg who have a score first mentality. Penny could get buckets and had a crazy deep offensive bag but, he never played the game with a score first mentality. You can’t say one is better than the other at they peaks because there ropes were completely different.

Fukking this.

When penny had to play SG when Armstrong was running point he was doing shyt like this against a top 3 defensive team in the league

 

[10bandz]

You are copping pleas for a man that Jerry West, of all people, thought was worthy of being a first round pick.
He bypassed the college star players to draft a kid out of high school. Speaks to the highly developed skills and game that he had as a 17 year old.

Translating / adapting those skills to the NBA is a transition for everybody. Penny had to learn , the same way Kobe did, and a more difficult position too.

So if Kobe played 4 years of college and entered the league at 22 you think he would’ve come off the bench his first few years and wouldn’t have scored 20+ Per game until his 4th season at 26?

The transition of a 4 year college player in the 90s is not the same as coming out of high school.

 

[get these nets]

So if Kobe played 4 years of college and entered the league at 22 you think he would’ve come off the bench his first few years and wouldn’t have scored 20+ Per game until his 4th season at 26?

The transition of a 4 year college player in the 90s is not the same as coming out of high school.

I'm saying that one of the all time great talent evaluaters coveted him as a pick, and traded an all star to get him.

Once he's in the league, can't cop pleas about his development vs college stars in his draft class, much less college stars from previous drafts.

Penny apprenticed for a bit as a rookie, before earning the starting PG job. Kobe just played behind a similar player with more experience.
My first post in this thread mentioned his relentless drive to improve and win. His development made Eddie Jones expendable after a while.

 

[10bandz]

I'm saying that one of the all time great talent evaluaters coveted him as a pick, and traded an all star to get him.

Once he's in the league, can't cop pleas about his development vs college stars in his draft class, much less college stars from previous drafts.

Penny apprenticed for a bit as a rookie, before earning the starting PG job. Kobe just played behind a similar player with more experience.
My first post in this thread mentioned his relentless drive to improve and win. His development made Eddie Jones expendable after a while.

Jerry West also knew he was gonna sign shaq which made Divac available for trade. Just because Jerry saw something in Kobe doesn't change his age. You can't compare a nikkas 18-22 age season to someone who did 4 years of college and his first 4 season were 22-26. That's not coping pleas that's just basic logic.


Also, Penny started all 82 games his rookie year and im pretty sure he started in the preseason as well, so there goes your apprenticeship argument. Now tell me Kobe wouldn't have started all 82 games as well if he was a 22 year old rookie coming out 4 years of Duke basketball.

 

[madness]

Shaqs opinion >>>

 

[Billy Ocean]

Combination wise… Penny/Shaq were entertaining and fun to watch.

Kobe/Shaq wasn’t always fun to watch. When they started to go at each other, really sucked the fun out of the duo for me.

Kobe wanted to be the top dog, Penny didn’t mind letting Shaq be the top guy and played his style game that complimented Shaqs game better.

So of course Shaq would say Penny was a better player. Becuase he wasnt selfish in his eyes.

All that said…. Kobe was still better than Penny. Just saying what Shaq really meant, which I can understand his point of view IF that’s how he meant it.

That's not what Shaq really meant. You putting words in that man's mouth. He literally said Penny was as good as Kobe and didn't say none of the bullshyt you posted.

 

[get these nets]

Jerry West also knew he was gonna sign shaq which made Divac available for trade. Just because Jerry saw something in Kobe doesn't change his age. You can't compare a nikkas 18-22 age season to someone who did 4 years of college and his first 4 season were 22-26. That's not coping pleas that's just basic logic.


Also, Penny started all 82 games his rookie year and im pretty sure he started in the preseason as well, so there goes your apprenticeship argument. Now tell me Kobe wouldn't have started all 82 games as well if he was a 22 year old rookie coming out 4 years of Duke basketball.

You know who else played 82 games that year, SCOTT SKILES......who began the season as the starting point guard. Started 46 games.

1993-94 Orlando Magic Roster and Stats | Basketball-Reference.com

Orlando Magic 1993-94 Roster and Stats

www.basketball-reference.com

Will repeat, Penny apprenticed a bit before earning the starting PG job.

The Lakers had plans to groom and develop Kobe, just like Orlando had plans to groom and develop Penny. Team makeup, depth chart at positions, etc all factor into how much time any rookie will play. Kobe could have gone to a bum team played a bunch of minutes and never properly developed as a player. Don't cop pleas for a man who was talented enough to go first round in such a loaded draft.

 

[cornercommission2k12]

Baseball was the main reason Penny n Shaq got past MJ in 1995. We saw what happened in 1996 when Mike was back fully. Broomstick

Jordan and the Bulls especially after they got Rodman were a better team, Rodman giving the bulls the ability to single cover Shaq changed life for them and Jordan was Jordan.

But Shaq and penny if they stayed together would have been a consistent thorn in the side of the bulls. They were the only duo I literally worried about the bulls not beating.

Penny entered the league when he was 22 not 18. When Kobe was 22 he was already a star. So to say Penny didn’t need a development period is misleading if Kobe played 4 years of college he would’ve been balling out the gate too. And even then Kobe was scoring 20+ in playoff games as a rookie and giving it to MJ his 2nd year at 19yrs old

it's not misleading penny didn't need a development period because he went to college. Kobe did because he came straight from high school. Don't know why that part bothers you and I have no issue with understanding that part of it. Lol nobody said Kobe was trash out the gate, anyone watching Kobe early on knew he was a future star coming. But the exact same can be said for penny which is the point of this.

 

[NormanConnors]

It isn't funny

Yes it it, then ya'll trying to act like dude didn't have determination, forgetting the years he put in hopes of getting past that knee injury. The German stimulus Kobe received for his knee wasnt around back then. Cats like Penny and Allen Houston looking at yall with the

 

[Shadow King]

Yes it it, then ya'll trying to act like dude didn't have determination, forgetting the years he put in hopes of getting past that knee injury. The German stimulus Kobe received for his knee wasnt around back then. Cats like Penny and Allen Houston looking at yall with the

No it isn't. I didn't speak on Penny's determination. Still don't see Penny becoming a Top 10 player of all time. People have become so partial to "Top 5" and "Mount Rushmore" that it's forgotten how lofty being 8th, 9th, 10th at your sport or art is.

Kobe was Top 10 before the Orthokine therapy.

 

[Peruvian Connect]

Remember that Penny Hardaway thread on SOHH? Didn't read full thread so excuse me if it was already mentioned

 

[big bun]

Shaq is right.

 

[feelosofer]

Well Shaq did play the game so his opinion carries more weight, right?

But in all seriousness. Penny didn't have the 3rd gear offensively Kobe had and this coming from a non Kobe stan.

I think Penny had more talent and physicals gifts though but Kobes incessant drive and mentality propelled him to places beyond where his body could take him.

 

[DaKidFromNoWhere]

Penny was a beast first 3 years.
Him Grant Hill and Brandon Roy are my biggest what ifs.
But in the end Kobes drive is what separates him from most and I don't think Penny had that drive.
For sure he would have been a HOF he stayed healthy.

 

[KevCo]

My nikkas dad said the same shyt the other day out of nowhere and said Len Bias would’ve been better than MJ

Ive heard the bias talk before cause i guess in college he dominated MJ (dont have the numbers/film just repeating what ive heard)

But yea. Penny not on kobes level. Maybe had he stayed healthy he could of had s shot but nah. Plus im sure shaq was having more fun with penny as he seems like he would have been a fun player to have on your team. Kobe was much harder on his teamates and himself.