Reacting to Shaq’s regrets in life, Memphis HC Penny Hardaway admits feeling like a "rock star" with him

Memphis coach and former NBA finalist Penny Hardaway reacted to a statement by his former teammate and NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal that he regretted not continuing his on-court relationship with his backcourt partner after the 7-foot-1 center left the Orlando Magic for the Los Angeles Lakers.

On Tuesday, Hardaway told "The Pivot Podcast" host and former NFL safety Ryan Clark that he had the most fun playing with the four-time NBA champion and said he felt like a rock star with him while traveling the country for the regular season and the playoffs.

"It was the most fun I had in the NBA playing with Shaq," the Memphis coach said. "Because when you went around the country it was like you were rock stars right because of him. People knew who I was but not to the extent of what I became after I played with him."

(from 19:41 mark onwards)

Hardaway added that O'Neal made his life easier during their time together in Orlando. The center was dominant during his prime, as he automatically draws double-teams and triple-teams. Hardaway further said Shaq's presence alone helped him tremendously, as he was a bigger-than-life type of guy and a major worldwide figure.

"I got an opportunity to play with him and be on the same court with him and I'll never forget those years those years for were really no pun intended magical because seriously it was magical because that dude just made my life easy," Hardaway said.

(from 20:13 mark onwards)

The Hardaway-O'Neal combo lasted three seasons and reached the Finals in 1995 where they got swept by the Houston Rockets. Shaq signed for the LA Lakers in 1996 while Hardaway remained with the Magic until 1999 before signing a deal with Phoenix.

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Penny Hardaway's Memphis closes 2024-25 college basketball season at No. 25 in final AP Top 25 poll

Penny Hardaway and the Memphis Tigers (29-6) concluded the 2024-25 college basketball season at No. 25 in the final AP Top 25 poll and No. 26 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. The Tigers, who were prominent between the No. 15 and No. 25 in the AP poll, ventured in and out of the rankings where they won over Clemson and Ole Miss, and lost to Mississippi State and Arkansas State.

Their dominant AAC stint helped them secure the conference regular season and tournament titles for the second time in three years and it gave them a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. However, they fell to Colorado State in the first round due to the absences of starting point guard Tyrese Hunter and backup point guard Dante Harris.

Despite the loss, Hardaway was even-keeled and handled the situation brilliantly.

"Yeah, it's life. You got to handle adversity. This is adversity," he said via CommercialAppeal.com. "I trust God in every situation, no matter what. I'm an ultimate competitor, and when things go bad you have to rely on that. I rely on that."

A new season awaits the Tigers, who started to beef up their lineup with the commitment of transfer guard Quante Berry out of Temple. There are still seven roster spots open for Memphis, which hopes to get the right pieces in the transfer portal.