Very few men in NBA history have utilized a cross-over dribble as effective as Tim Hardaway. After years spent honing his skills on blacktops all over Chicago's rough and tumble South Side, he developed a knack for making an opponent go in the opposite direction while he had a clear path to the basket. In many ways, it's partly why Golden State's Run TMC era was so effective. But behind the killer cross-over is a man who often found refuge in the game. This is his story.
The Early Years
Tim Hardaway was born on September 1, 1966 in Chicago, Illinois. While growing up near South Shore Park on the South Side of Chicago, he learned very early on how to behave in one of America's most violent districts. Day after day, he had to worry about possible interactions with the two prominent gangs in the area: the El Rukus and the Black Gangster Disciples. But it was through these tough times where he found his refuge: basketball.
He spent so many hours on the blacktops, honing his skills either alone or in games of one-on-one. He even played against future NBA legend Isiah Thomas on those courts, sharpening each other as iron sharpens iron.
Although he played well at Carver High School but his 6'0" frame scared off recruiters. If it wasn't for Mac Irvin, the "Godfather of Chicago basketball" himself, Hardaway would have just had a single scholarship offer from Western Illinois coming out of high school. Instead, Irvin contacted UTEP assistant Tim Floyd who then passed along the young point guard's information to fellow assistant and native Chicagoan Rus Bradburd who did the actual scouting and recruiting. Bradburd only saw two pickup games at the YMCA, but he liked what he saw. In Tim Hardaway, he saw a guy who saw the entire floor and had a real feel of the game. His awkward shot notwithstanding.
Tim Hardaway moved to El Paso in the Fall of 1985 not planning on playing in the NBA. He knew that his size wouldn't sit well with the NBA establishment and used his diminutive frame as motivation to prove everyone wrong.
While Hardaway had a tremendous cross-over and vision, he had an extremely awkward shot that made the ball turn like the Earth's axis. Seeing how that could be a problem against bigger competitors in college, Tim Hardaway became a gym rat, practically living in the gym while refining his shot.
He also had to acclimate himself in Don Haskin's system. Hardaway had graduated high school with an excellent mind for the fast-break, but not everyone ran at such a frenetic pace and Hardaway was forced to slow down and play defense.
As he learned the Miners' system, Hardaway's play improved. By his senior year, he averaged 22 points and led the WAC with 2.8 steals a game while earning the conference's Player of the Year award. After graduation, he looked forward to the adventures that awaited him in the last place he ever thought he would work for: the NBA.
The Warriors
Armed with the high scoring likes of Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond and led by an enigmatic coach in Don Nelson, the Golden State Warriors were on the cusp of taking the NBA by storm. All they needed was size and a good ball-handler at point guard. The Warriors got one of those that offseason, drafting the 6'0" Tim Hardaway 14th overall.
Hardaway acclimated well in the Warriors' system as its fast-break approach was very similar to how he grew up. As a rookie, he averaged 14.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists for the 37-45 Warriors.
He exploded the next year with 22.9 points, 9.7 assists and four rebounds a game while earning his first All-Star Game invite where he contributed five points, four assists and three rebounds for a West team that lost 116-114. Maybe if he had made both rather than half of his three point attempts his team would have won.
After beating the Denver Nuggets 162-158 in the first game of the year, the Warriors offense was something to behold that year. Averaging 116.6 points per game, they shockingly finished the year second behind the Denver's 119.9 points per game. Still, the NBA world was lit afire whenever the Warriors came to town. It was clear to all that the phenomenal trio of Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin led the hungry pack.
But like any great trio, this group of young studs needed a name to identify with the public. So the public voted and the three young players picked a name that spoke to them: Run TMC. Of course, named after a famous hip-hop group has its perks and by Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals, Run DMC introduced their namesake in front of a packed Oakland Arena. This infuriated their opponents, the almighty Lakers, who then went on to win the next three games to send the Golden State Warriors packing.
Even though the Warriors featured one of the premier offenses of the NBA, they still lacked size and just hours before the 1991-1992 season was to begin, Mitch Richmond was traded to the Sacramento Kings and just like that, the Run TMC era came to an abrupt end. Tim Hardaway used the trade as fuel to play even better than the year before, scoring 23.4 points and making 10 assists per game while earning his second straight All-Star invitation.
The Warriors improved as a team in 1991-1992, winning 55 games for the first time since 1976 and earning the third seed in the playoffs. However, they missed Richmond's presence when it mattered most and were subsequently bounced from the playoffs in the first round by the Seattle SuperSonics.
Hardaway again earned All Star honors after averaging 21.5 points and a career-best 10.6 assists per game in 1992-1993, but the Warriors failed to make the playoffs that year. He missed the Warriors short-lived playoff run in 1994 when he tore up his knee in the offseason but came back almost like he never left in 1995, scoring 20.1 points and making 9.3 assists a game. All looked well until he was traded in the middle of the 1995-1996 season to the Miami Heat. He would never again be as prolific near the basket.
Later Career
Tim Hardaway could have pouted, but that wasn't who he was. In moving to Miami, he saw fresh opportunity with a franchise still very new to the NBA. He wanted to build something special, similar to what he had been a part of in Oakland. He immediately increased his scoring average that year from 14.1 to 17.2 points a game while also boosting his assists (6.9 to 10) and rebounds (2.5 to 3.5).
His hard work paid off the following year as he averaged more than 20 points a game for the first time in two years while earning his first All-Star invitation since 1993. the Heat went on a surprising run that postseason and Tim Hardaway was in. the thick of it, shocking the New York Knicks with 38 points in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals to eliminate the Big Apple from title contention.
While it was indeed an epic win for Miami (101-90), no amount of confidence could properly prepare them for a showdown with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the Heat's first ever Eastern Conference Finals appearance. Thus, the Heat were eliminated in five games. It was the closest that Tim Hardaway ever came to the NBA Finals.
He secured one more All-Star appearance the next year and was traded to Dallas before the 2001-2002 season began. His time in the Lone Star State was short as he was traded to Denver after 54 games with the Mavericks. After a forgetful season in Indiana the next year, Tim Hardaway retired. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.
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