For years, Penny Hardaway has been a household name in every Memphis-area home.
Some of y’all have hooped with him at some point, or wear his shoes, or even claim he’s your “cousin.” But long before Lil’ Penny, four NBA All-Star Awards and the Memphis Tigers Head Basketball Coach position, Penny cut his teeth in Binghampton, navigating through a community marked with history, humility, and hardship.
We all know about Penny’s roots, and we know where he is now, but what about those years in between? Penny put in the work. He traveled. Stacked paper. Got experience. Met some of the most important people in the world. But something brought him back to the city that raised him. Not only did he eventually bring his talent and expertise back to Memphis, but he took everything back to East High School in Binghampton, where it all started.
Penny’s life is a perfect example of what the folks at Choose901 want for you: whether life takes you to Orlando or Orange Mound, we hope that we can both inspire and equip you to be what our city needs. Penny and his journey back home is what Memphis can be for you: going to gain exposure and connections and growth, then coming back to serve your city and neighborhood selflessly and care for our people and culture.
If you wanna be the future Memphis Tigers basketball coach, that’s great–we’ll be season ticket holders for sure. But if you have aspirations of opening your own beauty shop, becoming mayor of Memphis, or leading FedEx someday, we’re here to get you in front of the right people, into the best position, and to turn up with you every now and then. All we ask in return is that you remember us when you are big ballin’ like Penny.
