Penny Hardaway fights back tears after losing to South Florida
Almost two decades have passed since his playing career, but the coach of Memphis Penny Hardaway still takes the loss hard.
The Tigers were stomped by South Florida 87-66 on Thursday at the Juengling Center, as Hardaway continues to search for answers in a campaign that was challenging.
Memphis suffered its third straight loss, falling to 12-14, including 7-6 in the AAC. Fifty-four-year-old Hardaway did not hide his emotions after theirs the latest failure.
“I wanted that game, bro. You know what I’m saying?” Hardaway said in a video posted by The Commercial Appeal’s Jason Muntz. “I just wanted a game.”
I asked Penny Hardaway about the emotion he showed during the game tonight.
Here is his actual answer. pic.tvitter.com/lkmViIEkbR
— Jason Munz (@munzly) February 20, 2026
Hardaway’s long layoff said it all.
The four-time NBA All-Star is a legend in Memphis. He was always a valued member of the community. Many rejoiced when he decided to coach his alma mater. So it must be really painful for him to see them have a spiraling season.
Hardaway, however, maintained that he hasn’t given up as Memphis looks for a late surge.
“I’m just going to keep fighting with my guys and keep believing in them. That’s what I’m going to do. It’s tough. We’ve never been here before, but it’s not impossible,” added Hardaway, who he helped the Orlando Magic reach the 1995 NBA Finals.
Curtis Givens III had 12 points, five rebounds and five assists against South Florida. Julius Tedford added 13 points and five rebounds, while Aaron Bradshaw had 12 points and four rebounds.
Memphis shot just 33% from the field and was outrebounded, 52-39. The Tigers fell by as many as 23 points.
They will face UAB on Sunday.
2026-02-20 04:47:00
