Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat’s legendary point guard Tim Hardaway Sr. was magical on the floor but something he said off the court cost him dearly.
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Tim Hardaway Sr. is, without a doubt, one of the legends in the game of basketball. He is still remembered vividly for his killer crossovers which were known as the “UTEP two-step” by television analysts at the time.
The father of Dallas Mavericks sharpshooter, Tim Hardaway Jr., the 6’0 point guard came into the league in 1989 as a 14th pick for the Golden State Warriors and became an instant hit from his second year onwards, averaging over 23 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals a game.
HBD Tim Hardaway
aka The Killer Crossover King— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) September 1, 2019
His Run TMC group alongside guards Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin in Golden State were so terrific in their second season together that they defeated David Robinson-led Spurs in the First Round of the 1991 playoffs but fell short to Magic Johnson’s Lakers.
Tim had a career which truly deserves a Hall of Fame enshrinement like Mitch and Mullin, both of whom were enshrined by 2014, but that didn’t happen until this year because of one of his derogatory takes after he was well into his retirement.
Tim Hardaway openly accepted his hatred for gay people back in 2007
In 2007, after he had retired from the NBA for 4 years following a 14-year career with 5 different franchises, achieving 5 All-Star appearances, 5 All-NBA selections and getting his no.10 jersey retired by the Miami Heat, he said something that he believes has cost him his Hall of Fame status.
“Well, you know, the reason I’m not in is because of what I said in 2007 about gay people. That’s why I’m not in right now, and I understand it. I hurt a lot of people’s feelings and it came off the wrong way and it was really bad of me to say that.” Hardaway Sr. told Hoopshype.
Tim had said something on Dan Le Batard’s Miami sports radio station WAXY-AM show, which was hard to take back, “You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known,” Hardaway said. “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 the United States.”
When asked if he would accept an active player’s coming out, like retired NBA center John Amaechi, Hardaway replied: “First of all, I wouldn’t want him on my team.”
Just his career averages of 17.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.6 steals were clearly enough to get him into the Basketball Hall of Fame, but he had to be punished for having such conservative and hateful remarks toward other human beings. But everyone deserves a second chance, don’t they?
