Tim Hardaway
Encyclopedia
Timothy Duane "Tim" Hardaway (born September 1, 1966) is a retired American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 player who played in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

 (NBA) and who in his prime was one of the league's best point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...

s. Six feet (1.83 m) tall, he was best known for his devastating crossover dribble
Crossover dribble
A crossover dribble is a basketball maneuver in which a player dribbling the ball switches the ball rapidly from one hand to the other, to make a change in direction. In a typical example the player heads upcourt, dribbling the ball in the left hand, then makes a wide step left with a good head fake...

 (dubbed the "UTEP Two-step
Two-step
Two-step or Two Step may refer to:In dance*Two-step , a dance move used in a wide range of dancing genres*Country-western two-step, also known as the Texas Two-step*Nightclub Two Step, also known as the California Two-step...

" by television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 analysts), a move which he helped to popularize among younger players. He is the father of Tim Hardaway, Jr.
Tim Hardaway, Jr.
-Freshman year:Although Hardaway led the team in scoring in his first career game and the season opener with 19 points against , he was soon in a shooting slump that saw him shoot 4 for 30 on his field goals in late November games against Syracuse and...


Early career

Hardaway was born in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

. After graduating from Carver Area High School
Carver Military Academy
George Washington Carver Military Academy High School, formely known as George Washington Carver Area High School, is a public high school in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1947 as a mainstream high school, and began the transition into becoming a military academy in 2000...

 in Chicago, he attended the University of Texas at El Paso
University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is a four-year state university, and is a component institution of the University of Texas System. Its campus is located on the bank of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. The school was founded in 1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy,...

 (UTEP) where he won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award
Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award
The Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award is an annual college basketball award in the United States intended to honor shorter–than–average players who excel on the court despite their size. The award, named in honor of James Naismith's daughter–in–law, was established for men in 1969 and for women in 1984...

 as the best college player six feet (1.83 m) tall or under. Hardaway was selected as the 14th pick of the first round, in the 1989 NBA Draft
1989 NBA Draft
The 1989 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 1989 in New York City, New York, USA. It has been regarded as one of the worst drafts in NBA history, along with the 1986 NBA Draft and the 2000 NBA Draft. Though the draft produced talented players such as Shawn Kemp, Glen Rice, Sean Elliott, Nick...

 by the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...

.

NBA career

In his rookie season, Hardaway wore jersey number "5", as Manute Bol
Manute Bol
Manute Bol was a Sudanese-born basketball player and activist. At 7 feet, 7 inches , Bol was one of the tallest players ever to appear in the National Basketball Association, along with Gheorghe Mureşan. Unlike Mureşan, however, Bol was naturally tall and did not have a Pituitary disease...

 wore Hardaway's trademark "10". After Bol left the Warriors, Hardaway inherited it. With the Warriors, Hardaway was part of "Run TMC" (the initials of the players' first names, and a play on the title of the popular rap group Run DMC) which was the high-scoring trio of himself, Mitch Richmond
Mitch Richmond
Mitchell James "Mitch" Richmond is a retired American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association. He played collegiately at Kansas State University. He was a 6-time NBA All-Star, a 5-time All-NBA Team member and a former NBA Rookie of the Year...

, and Chris Mullin
Chris Mullin (basketball)
Christopher Paul Mullin is a retired American basketball player and former general manager of the NBA's Golden State Warriors. He has also been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame....

. As part of the Warriors' attack, Hardaway was responsible for leading Run TMC's fast break, displaying his excellent passing and one-on-one skills to complement Richmond's slashing and Mullin's shooting. Hardaway played for the Warriors until the middle of 1995–96 season when he was traded to the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...

 along with Chris Gatling
Chris Gatling
Chris Raymond Gatling is a retired American professional basketball player, having played for numerous NBA teams from 1991 to 2002...

 in exchange for Kevin Willis
Kevin Willis
Kevin Alvin Willis is a former American professional basketball player who last played for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA. He is a 7-foot power forward/center...

 and Bimbo Coles
Bimbo Coles
Vernell Eufaye "Bimbo" Coles is a retired American basketball player. Coles was a standout at Greenbrier East High School in Lewisburg, West Virginia. He played his college basketball for the Virginia Tech Hokies for four seasons . He was a member of the United States 1988 Olympic basketball team...

.

In his best seasons, Hardaway averaged 18 to 23 points and 8 to 10 assists per game. He reached 5,000 points and 2,500 assists faster than any NBA player, except Oscar Robertson
Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson , nicknamed "The Big O", is a former American NBA player with the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks...

. Hardaway also competed in five NBA All-Star Games. He was once the Miami Heat's all-time leader in assists, and together with center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...

 Alonzo Mourning
Alonzo Mourning
Alonzo Harding Mourning, Jr. is a former American professional basketball player, who played most of his 15-year NBA career for the Miami Heat....

 led the Heat to some of the franchise's best seasons. Late season injuries kept Hardaway from performing at the peak of his abilities for almost all of the Heat's playoff runs, and he missed most of the playoff games.

He was an MVP
NBA Most Valuable Player Award
The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1955–56 NBA season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement...

 candidate following the 1996–97 season, making it to the All-NBA First Team after leading the Heat to the best record in franchise history while averaging 20.3 points, 8.6 assists, and being fourth in the league with 203 three-point baskets.

With his skills declining with age, Hardaway was traded to the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...

 on August 22, 2001, for a second-round draft pick. With Dallas, Hardaway was mainly utilized off the bench, starting only two games out of 54 and averaging almost ten points a game. In the middle of the season, he was traded to the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...

 in exchange for controversial point guard Nick Van Exel
Nick Van Exel
Nickey Maxwell "Nick" Van Exel is a retired American professional basketball player and currently an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks...

. With the Nuggets he started all fourteen games he played with them before retiring and becoming a basketball analyst for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

. While playing for the Nuggets, Hardaway was suspended for two games and fined $10,000 by the league when he threw a television monitor onto the court. On March 27, 2003, Hardaway signed a contract with the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...

, and in his first game registered a season-high fourteen points and seven assists against the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...

.

Achievements

Hardaway was the 1989 WAC Player of the Year.

Hardaway recorded 5,000 points and 2,500 assists, second fastest in NBA history after Oscar Robertson
Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson , nicknamed "The Big O", is a former American NBA player with the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks...

. Hardaway accomplished it in 262 games; Robertson took only 247. Hardaway held the record for most assists in Miami Heat franchise history with 1,947, until his total was surpassed by Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Tyrone Wade, Jr. nicknamed Flash or D-Wade, is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat. Awarded 2006 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated, Wade has established himself as one of the most well-known and popular players in the league...

 on January 16, 2010. Hardaway shares the record for second most steals in an NBA Playoffs
NBA Playoffs
The National Basketball Association Playoffs is a best-of-seven elimination tournament among sixteen teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference , ultimately deciding the final four teams who will play in the NBA Conference Finals.-Format:Following the NBA regular season, eight teams in...

 game, with 8 in Game 2 of the 1991 Western Conference
Western Conference (NBA)
Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....

 Semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...

 and in Game 4 of the 1992 Western Conference First Round against the Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...

.

In 1991–92, Hardaway became the 7th player in NBA history to average 20 points (23.4 ppg) and 10 assists (10.0 apg) in a season, a feat he accomplished again in 1992–93 (21.5 ppg, 10.6 apg).

Hardaway holds the NBA record for the worst single-game shooting performance in NBA history, having gone 0-for-17 in a 106-102 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...

 on December 27, 1991.

Hardaway's number 10 was retired by the Miami Heat on October 28, 2009.

International career

Hardaway was originally selected to play for "Dream Team II" in the 1994 World Basketball Championship but was replaced by Isiah Thomas
Isiah Thomas
Isiah Lord Thomas III , nicknamed "Zeke",is the men's basketball coach for the FIU Golden Panthers, and a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association from 1981 until 1994. He led the "Bad Boys" to the NBA...

 because of a torn knee ligament; Isiah was later also replaced by Kevin Johnson
Kevin Johnson
Kevin Maurice Johnson is the current mayor of Sacramento, California. He is Sacramento's first African American mayor. Prior to entering politics, Johnson was a basketball player in the NBA, playing point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns...

.

He was also selected (as one of the last two players selected) for the 1998 World Basketball Championship team. The team was later replaced with CBA
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...

 and college players due to the NBA lockout
1998–99 NBA lockout
The 1998–99 NBA lockout was the third lockout in the history of the National Basketball Association . It lasted from July 1, 1998 to January 20, 1999, and forced the 1998–99 season to be shortened to 50 games per team and that season's All-Star Game to be canceled...

.

In 2000, he finally got his opportunity to play before the world stage in the Sydney Olympics
Basketball at the 2000 Summer Olympics
-Group B:-Championship bracket:-Classification matches:-Preliminary round:The four best teams from each group advanced to the quarterfinal round.-Group A:-Group B:-Championship bracket:...

 where he scored 5.5 points/Game and shot .385 (15- 39) from the field.

Homophobia controversy

During a February 14, 2007 interview on a Miami sports radio show, in response to the coming out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....

 of former NBA player John Amaechi
John Amaechi
John Uzoma Ekwugha Amaechi OBE is a retired American-born British basketball player who currently works as a psychologist, educator and political activist in Europe and the United States....

, Hardaway remarked that he would try to distance himself from a player he knew was homosexual. When asked by the radio show host whether he realized that his remarks were homophobic, Hardaway responded by saying: "Well, you know I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States." He also said that if he found out he had one or more gay teammates, he would try to get them fired.

Later in the day, Hardaway apologized for the remarks during a telephone interview with Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...

 affiliate WSVN
WSVN
WSVN, channel 7, is a television station located in Miami, Florida, USA. WSVN is owned by Sunbeam Television, and is an affiliate of the Fox Broadcasting Company. The station has its studio facilities located in North Bay Village and transmitter based in north Miami-Dade County.WSVN operates a Key...

 in Miami. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said I hate gay people or anything like that." He further apologized on February 15 in a statement released by his agent. On the same day, the NBA responded to Hardaway's comments by removing him from its All-Star Weekend
NBA All-Star Weekend
The National Basketball Association holds an All-Star Weekend every February, the festival has a variety of basketball-related events, exhibitions, and performances culminating in the NBA All-Star Game held on Sunday night.-The All-Star Game:...

 activities later that week
2007 NBA All-Star Game
The 2007 NBA All-Star Game was played on Sunday, February 18, 2007 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas's Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It was the 56th annual All-Star Game. It was the first time the All-Star Game was played in a city without an NBA franchise and...

. Hardaway's employer, Trinity Sports, owner of the Anderson
Anderson, Indiana
Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses Madison county. Anderson is the headquarters of the Church of God and home of Anderson University, which is...

-based CBA
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...

 Indiana Alley Cats
Indiana Alley Cats
The Indiana Alley Cats was a member of the Continental Basketball Association . They are based in Anderson, Indiana and formerly played at Anderson High School Wigwam. The team was formerly a part of the American Basketball Association.-2005-2006:...

, dismissed him from his position as Chief Basketball Operations Advisor, and the CBA issued a statement distancing itself from Hardaway's remarks.

In a September 2007 interview, Hardaway spoke about his February comments, saying he "had no idea how much I hurt people. A lot of people." He described the controversy as "the biggest bump [in the road] in my life", and added, "I'm going to do whatever I can to correct it. That's all I can do."

In an interview on February 11, 2010, on Hardcore Sports Radio on Sirius
Sirius
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. With a visual apparent magnitude of −1.46, it is almost twice as bright as Canopus, the next brightest star. The name "Sirius" is derived from the Ancient Greek: Seirios . The star has the Bayer designation Alpha Canis Majoris...

, Hardaway spoke about his recent work with The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is an American non-profit organization founded in 1998 and the leading national organization focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. Through a toll-free telephone number, it operates The Trevor Lifeline, a...

 and The YES Institute, which he has done to educate himself on gay, lesbian and transgendered issues.

Personal life

He has a wife, Yolanda, and two children, Tim Jr.
Tim Hardaway, Jr.
-Freshman year:Although Hardaway led the team in scoring in his first career game and the season opener with 19 points against , he was soon in a shooting slump that saw him shoot 4 for 30 on his field goals in late November games against Syracuse and...

 and Nia. His son, Tim Jr., plays for the University of Michigan
Michigan Wolverines men's basketball
The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Wolverines play home basketball games at the...

. Tim Hardaway currently lives in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...

. He was a player/head coach of the Florida Pit Bulls of the ABA
American Basketball Association (21st century)
The American Basketball Association, often abbreviated as ABA, is a semi-professional men's basketball league that was founded in 1999. The current ABA has no affiliation with the original American Basketball Association that merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976...

 in 2006, but the team folded.

See also


External links

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