On his weekly radio show on Monday, Penny Hardaway reflected on how the NBA has shifted since his playing days, and NBA Fans quickly echoed his frustration.
“Over the years, to me, it’s just getting worse and worse,” he said. “Not in a bad way. But for me to watch, because I’m in college, I see the fundamentals and playing team ball. And just shooting all the threes now is just a little irritating to me to watch an NBA game. No one shoots layups anymore. It’s fun to watch for fans. But for guys that were pure in the game, it’s a little difficult.”
@urbanarson argued, “It’s not even fun for the fans which is why the ratings are in the toilet.”
It’s not even fun for the fans which is why the ratings are in the toilet.
— Urban Arson 🔫 (@urbanarson) December 16, 2025
@YusufYuie added, “It’s really regressed… kids are going to think this is what basketball is supposed to look like. The specialist and true defense era, was special.”
Meanwhile, @LevinBurant pointed to officiating: “I’m not bothered by 3s that much. It’s just the fact these days you can take 5 steps and score a basket while also drawing imaginary fouls.”
Hardaway, a four-time All-Star and the third overall pick in 1993, built his reputation as one of the league’s premier point guards. Since 2018, he has coached the Memphis Tigers, guiding them to two AAC tournament titles and a regular season crown.
“Hilarious stuff”: NBA fans ridicule Penny Hardaway for his comments on Nikola Jokic
While Penny Hardaway may have gotten the NBA fans’ approval on his views of today’s game, they certainly didn’t like what he said about Nikola Jokic, which sparked some backlash.
On The Hoop Genius Podcast, Hardaway declared, “I know he’s the greatest in this era right now. As great as Steph Curry has been, Kevin Durant and those guys have been, Jokic gets it done in multiple categories. He makes his teammates better.”
Fans weren’t convinced.
@hallzi43 dismissed Jokic’s résumé: “Guy has one ring and he’s just getting constantly glazed because he fills a stat sheet. Hilarious stuff.”
Guy has one ring and he’s just getting constantly glazed because he fills a stat sheet. Hilarious stuff.
— Ben Hall (@hallzi43) December 14, 2025
@serinami03 compared him to Curry: “Jokic is turning 31 in 2 months and he only has 1 ring. Steph already had 3 by age 30.”
And @SloHoopsFan offered another candidate: “Hello, Penny!? Luka Dončić exists.”
Jokic, who entered the league in 2015, has one championship and a Finals MVP but also three league MVPs, keeping him firmly in the debate over the era’s best.
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