Back to the Mint

When I first heard that Miami Heat coach Pat Riley was considering giving 36-year old Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway another chance at the big leagues after almost two years of shelf time – I was ecstatic! Ecstatic because I grew up watching the duo of Shaq and Penny strut their stuff for the Orlando Magic in the early 90’s. Now, more than a decade later, I’d get to see them again…

But based on the observations of Miami Heat insider Ira Winderman (http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_basketball_heat/), it looks like it may not happen.

Winderman wrote:

"Hardaway, though, is different. He is not assured a spot and still must play his way onto the 15-man regular-season roster. His quadriceps soreness not only opens more playing time for the likes of Jeremy Richardson, Devin Green and even Marcus Slaughter, but makes one wonder how much longer Riley can justify the comeback bid by the 36-year-old who has been out of the league for nearly two years."

And to think I was looking forward to a picture with Shaq, Penny, and D.Wade.