The 1993 Chris Webber-Penny Hardaway Trade On Draft Day Changed Course Of Their Careers

It turned out be a case of what could have been vs who could have thought

Sep 11, 2021; Springfield, MA, USA; Class of 2021 inductee, Chris Webber speaks during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement at MassMutual Center. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Thirty-one years ago today, the1993 NBA Draft took a turn that resulted in one career going to the Hall of Fame while the other was slowed by injuries.

The Orlando Magic selected Chris Webber as the No. 1 pick as he was coming off two years with the Michigan Fab Five. He was the clear top choice despite the infamous timeout called during the NCAA Final against North Carolina a few months earlier.

Webber was viewed as best player coming out of college with the chance to turn a team around. The Magic, who were coming off a 41-41, would pair him with Shaquille O'Neal.

Then just a few minutes later, Webber was traded to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for No. 3 pick Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway.

June 30, 1993: "Orlando has traded the draft rights to Chris Webber (the first overall pick in the NBA Draft) to Golden State in exchange for the draft rights to Anfernee Hardaway (the third overall pick) AND three future first round draft picks..." pic.twitter.com/vg2bXsiHC7

— NBA Cobwebs (@NBACobwebs) June 30, 2024

With all the hype and visibility surrounding Webber, the expectation was for him to be the next big star. But early in their careers, it was Hardaway who shined the brightest.

Alongside O'Neal he helped the Magic become one of the league's most popular teams. They even made the Finals in 1995, losing to the Houston Rockets. Hardaway's career was later derailed by a series of knee injuries. Despite the early success, he is still waiting on a Hall of Fame invite.

As for Webber, he won Rookie of the Year, became a five-time All-Star and played a key role in the Sacramento Kings-Los Angeles Lakers rivalry in the late 1990s. Webber could never lead the Kings past the O'Neal and Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers, but was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021.

The question will always remain this: what would Hardaway have become without the injuries or how would Webber have played alongside O'Neal?

Zachary Draves is a contributor to Back In The Day NBA. He can be reached at zdraves1013@gmail.com

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