After signing a seven-year, $86 million contract with Phoenix in the offseason, Hardaway has missed 14 games with an injury that finally was diagnosed last week as a partially torn plantar fascia, the soft tissue structure that supports the arch of the foot.

	Hardaway

"That whole thing is a perception that Orlando made of me," he said. "I've been a guy that's always played hurt. I think every athlete in this league plays hurt with something. I've played hurt my entire career."

Hardaway said the problem began in training camp, after he had toenails removed and switched from a size 14 to a size 15 basketball shoe. With more room, more pressure was placed on his arch, Hardaway said.

The pain grew worse as the season wore on, he said, and he finally decided he had to sit out, no matter whether critics thought he was faking it or not.

"I use to really let that bother me. That's why I was in the situation I was in in Orlando. I made it so much worse on myself by playing injured that I almost lost my career," he said. "So I'm not worrying about anybody else anymore."

Initially, a short layoff was predicted, but the condition didn't improve.

Last week, Hardaway was sent to Dr. Carol Frye, a foot specialist in Los Angeles, who diagnosed the injury as a partial tear. His foot was placed in a cast. On Tuesday, he went back to Frye, who took off the cast and examined the injury, then put on a new cast.

Hardaway said he is to have the cast removed for good on Monday and hopes to be back in the lineup by the Jan. 14 home game against Portland.

Coach Scott Skiles is skeptical about that timetable.

"Just because a doctor says that the cast is going to come off and he's going to be fine doesn't necessarily mean it's true," Skiles said. "I want Penny to have the cast off and if he practices a couple of days and says he feels great, then I'll feel good."

Hardaway blames his reputation on a few people who were around him in Orlando.

"There were just a few guys there who didn't like me," Hardaway said, "that put this image out there of me not playing hurt. ... No one really knows me. They don't know the pain that I go through and how much I love to play this game, and it hurts me even more being on the sidelines.

"When I got hurt this time, I knew that people were going to say 'Here he goes again. Is he really hurt?' So I did it this time for me."

As of Wednesday, the Suns were 11-4 with Hardaway in the lineup and 8-7 without him. Of course, the team also was without Shawn Marion, Tom Gugliotta and Luc Longley during parts of that 8-7 stretch.

Skiles said he has no doubt Hardaway's injury is legitimate.

"I'm not caught up in any of that," Skiles said. "I know Penny wants to play and loves the game."

Skiles has been using Rex Chapman, Todd Day and Toby Bailey at the shooting guard spot in Hardaway's absence.

"They've held down that spot but Penny just brings a different dimension," Skiles said. "Playing San Antonio, they're going to put Avery Johnson on Rex but they're not going to put him on Penny. There are all types of matchup problems he brings. The same thing with Damon Stoudamire against Portland. They're going to put him on Rex and put the two-guard on Jason Kidd.

"A guy like Penny eliminates all of that. And when you're facing a great defensive team, he's just another guy who can beat players off the dribble when they take you out of your set offense and can create for other people. He just brings problems for other teams."

The Suns have changed coaches during Hardaway's absence, but Skiles doesn't expect the star guard to need much time to be effective again.

"Penny's a very bright basketball player. He's been here every day watching everything," said Skiles, who took over the team after Danny Ainge resigned. "We've had conversations about what we're doing. He's aware of what's going on. It's not going to take him long."