Memphis Penny Hardaway Says G League's New Approach Is 'Almost Like Tampering'

Penny Hardaway is not thrilled about the NBA G League's professional pathway program. 

The former Memphis star turned Memphis head coach said in a video interview to media released Friday that he disagrees with the league's latest on-court approach. 

“For me, I didn’t think the G League was built—and I could be wrong—to go and recruit kids that want to go to college out of going to college,” he said. “I thought they were going to be the organization that was going to be, if you want to go overseas or you absolutely did not want to play college 100%, that this would be the best situation for you before you go into the NBA.

“But taking guys out of their commitments [or] they’ve already signed and continuing to talk to their parents, it’s almost like tampering. I really don’t agree with that.”

The G League's pathway program is already having a direct impact on the Tigers' program. Sports Illustrated All-American Player of the Year Jalen Green was expected to join Memphis had he not elected to forgo his collegiate career in favor of joining a non-NBA team affiliated franchise.

Next year, Green, and a number of other top high school prospect Class of 2020, will take part in the G League's one-year developmental program.

Per Sports Illustrated's Jeremy Woo, the salary range for the top prospects in the pathway program is believed to be in the range of $500,000, including incentives and sponsorship opportunities.

Earlier this week, the NCAA Board of Governors announced it is moving toward allowing student athlete compensation and adopting recommendations from a NIL (name, image and likeness) working group to allow student athletes to be paid for sponsorships and endorsement deals as early as the 2021-22 academic year.

Hardaway's top recruit in the class of 2019 also played a limit stint with the Tigers. In December, James Wiseman announced that he had left the University of Memphis and was turning his attention to the NBA.

Wiseman's departure from Memphis came amid a 12-game suspension he was in the middle of serving for accepting ineligible benefits.

Wiseman played three games for the Tigers, averaging nearly 20 points per game on 77% shooting from the field. 

The new G League team is reportedly going to be based in Los Angeles.