NBA: This flower path is a bit strong.

Anfernee Hardaway is a very magical player. He is known as the successor of Jordan and Magic Johnson. He is also Tracy McGrady's idol and role model for his playing style.

In McGrady's autobiography, he once said that all his skills were learned from Anfernee Hardaway.

The same elegant playing style, the league's fastest first step, and the same basketball career destroyed by injuries.

Hardaway’s injury is not so much a joke of fate as it is a joke played on him by the management of the Magic team, the “Star Supply Camp”!

Last season, at the beginning of the 95-96 season, O'Neal, who had a great time playing for the Orlando Magic and eliminated the "God" in last year's playoffs, will miss the first two months of the season due to injury.

Faced with many unscrupulous media outlets that were stirring up trouble, and when everyone was pessimistic about the Magic team whose core players were absent, Anfernee Hardaway made a stunning debut, leading the Magic team to a 13-2 start in the first month, slapping many media people in the face.

"What if you can't beat them? Just join them!"

The media, who were slapped in the face by Hardaway, had no power to fight back, so they began to praise Hardaway.

Besides, it’s not embarrassing to brag about Hardaway’s average stats of [27+6+6]!

This wave of hype reached its peak on November 11th when the team played against the Bulls.

Because ~ this young [Jordan successor] faced the defense of Jordan himself. Hardaway made 18 of 12 shots, 7 of 4 three-pointers, and 9 of 8 free throws, and handed in 36 points and 5 rebounds, giving the 96 Bulls their first loss of the season!

With Jordan's recognition, Hardaway has finally made his mark!

In the middle of the season, Hardaway was once again selected as an All-Star starter along with Jordan. At that time, his advertisements with brands such as Nike were well-known and extremely popular!

Here we have to mention the technical characteristics of Hardaway at his peak:

1. Solid basic skills;

2. The first step of the breakthrough technology was particularly fast, the fastest first step at that time;

3. His playing style is graceful and agile, and he can easily perform smooth back-to-the-basket performances in front of Jordan himself!

4. The ability to dribble with both hands;

5. Signature move: jump layup.

6. He retains the attributes of a traditional point guard, with competent defense, excellent overall vision, and unrestrained passing. He is one of the best outside and inside ball handlers.

7. In positional battles, he often plays with his back to the basket rather than facing the basket. The unique ability of a big point guard is to use his body to protect the ball well.

To sum up: this is the ancestor of the modern point guard. You can regard him as the prototype of Sendoh from "Slam Dunk"!

(The last person who played like this was called Magic)

The story ends here, just like a great saint emerging from the mountain. Hardaway should have a good career.

But all this was ruined by the Magic management!

Faced with a spirited young man who plays basketball beautifully and efficiently, the choice of the Magic management is to "fuck him to death as long as he can't be killed"!

Their original intention was to build the team with "Jordan's successor" as the cornerstone of the team. After forcing O'Neal away and failing to get a good helper for Hardaway, they started to target Hardaway!

For the sake of the team's performance, the impatient Magic management allowed Hardaway, the sole core player of the team, to continue playing despite a minor injury, and his average playing time was over 40 minutes per game for several consecutive months.

After Hardaway suffered cartilage damage in his left knee, he was asked to return two weeks after surgery!

You have to know that the main reason for Hardaway's injury is that the Magic team arranged for him to gain weight. Now he is injured and they don't protect him, but ask him to return quickly. Even the donkey in the production team wouldn't dare to use him like this!

Hardaway, who was originally expected to rest for more than a month, was forced to return after 20 days.

This is the first and last case in the NBA of a star player returning so quickly after surgery!

And the result of his comeback was of course getting injured again!

After just one game back, Hardaway suffered another left knee injury, adding to the old injury and the minor injury.

After that, he kept resting, coming back, getting injured again, and playing on and off.

But under such circumstances, Hardaway still helped the Magic reach the playoffs this season.

He also scored 40+ points twice in the series against the Heat, leaving the suspense to the last game.

But now, Hardaway's Magic team will not play against the Miami Heat, but the Toronto Raptors!

Although he is "half-disabled", in view of Hardaway's amazing performance this season, the task of defending Hardaway was unanimously given to defensive pioneer Doug Christie.

The two core players, Das and Hanamichi, have secured two starting spots.

The remaining Walter Williams has performed well this season, averaging 73+16 in 5 starts, and has also secured the starting position at small forward.

The only remaining center position was Oakley, who missed the first game of the series against the Magic due to physical discomfort.

At Hanamichi's suggestion, Ben Wallace, whose afro was even more afro-inflated, took over the starting spot.

When Da Ben found out about it, he secretly made up his mind: I must not lose as I bear the honor of my master!

At this point, the Raptors' starting lineup for the first game of the playoffs has been determined.

The starting players of the Orlando Magic team are:

前锋：德里克-斯特朗（203cm，100kg），原历史的本届季后赛中场均12.2分+10篮板+0.8助攻！

后卫：【便士】安芬尼-哈达威（201cm，88kg），原历史的本届季后赛中场均31分+6篮板+3.4助攻！其中又分别有两场41分和42分的精彩表现！

后卫：尼克-安德森（198cm，93kg），原历史的本届季后赛中场均5.6分+5.8篮板+0.6助攻！

Center: Ronnie Seikaly (211cm, 104kg), averaged 6.3 points + 5.3 rebounds in this playoffs!

(Sharon White, who was originally traded to the Magic, has been removed from the Magic's starting center list because his performance in the regular season dropped sharply to 6.5 points + 3.1 rebounds + 0.5 assists!

New starting center Ronnie Seikaly's stats in the regular season were 17.3 points + 9.5 rebounds + 1.2 assists, but he was blown away by Alonzo Mourning in the playoffs!)

前锋：德尼斯-斯科特（203cm，104kg），原历史的本届季后赛中场均3分+1.8篮板+1助攻！

Having written this, I have to mention that in the original history, the injury-plagued Hardaway fought five games with the second-ranked Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference with these four guys, and won two of them!