NBA
Tim Hardaway: The Most Important Crossover Is His Next
Do you remember the famed “UTEP Two-step”? That was the original moniker of the crossover Tim Hardaway used as his weapon of choice to break the ankles of any defender who tried to impede his path to the basket. Hardaway likely perfected this crossover in Chicago where he was born and raised. He would excel in high school basketball at Carver Area High School before attending the University of Texas of El Paso (UTEP), where his crossover would become legendary.
While at UTEP, Tim was recognized as the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Player of the Year and he received the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, an award given to the best player in the nation six feet tall or shorter. The NBA took notice. In 1989, the Golden State Warriors drafted Tim with the 14th overall pick where he joined teammates Chris Mullin (Hall of Fame, class of 2011) and Mitch Richmond (Hall of Fame, class of 2014) to form “Run TMC” and terrorize the Western Conference with their fast paced run and gun playing style.
A Star Is Born
Hardaway averaged 14.7 points per game (ppg), 8.7 assists per game (apg), and 2.1 steals per game (spg) in his rookie season. Additionally, in his second season, Tim improved to 22.9 ppg, 9.7apg, and 2.6 spg. His third season was arguably his best; he averaged 23.4 ppg, 10.0 apg, and 2 spg.
Tim was a certified baller, an elite point guard in an era that featured the likes of John Stockton and Isaiah Thomas. In addition, Hardaway’s “UTEP Two-Step” matured into the “Killer Crossover” in the NBA and no defender stood a chance. He sliced and diced defenders nightly. His crisp handles and ability to create his shot was a thing of beauty.
The Miami Chapter
Hardaway was traded to the Miami Heat in the middle of the 1996 season. Tim started 28 games and averaged 17.2 ppg and 10 apg. He and the Heat would meet and be swept by the Michael Jordan led 72 win Chicago Bulls team that year, a team many consider the best of all time. The next year in Miami, Tim would return to form, averaging 20.3 ppg, 8.6 apg, and 1.9 spg while nailing 208 three pointers-earning him a fourth place finish in the 1997 NBA MVP voting.
That year, Tim and the Miami Heat beat the Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway led Orlando Magic in five games, and beat the formidable New York Knicks squad in round two in seven games. Hardaway dropped 38 points in the seventh game! Unfortunately for Tim and Miami, this era belonged to Jordan and Bulls as they would ultimately lose to Chicago in the Eastern Conference Finals in five games.
Tim maintained a high level of production for the Miami Heat over the next four seasons. Eventually, like most professional athletes, Tim yielded to Father Time. His production waned after year 11, and over the next three seasons, he would be traded to the Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, and finally the Indiana Pacers to finish his career. All in all, Hardaway’s 14 year career exceptional. His production rivals the great point guards of all time.
Tim Hardaway Career Achievements:
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Hall Of Fame Case
Hardaway compared to notable Hall of Fame Point Guards of the same era:
• Tim Hardaway Career Stats: 17.7 ppg, 8.2 apg, 3.3 rpg, 1.6 spg, 35.5% 3P
• John Stockton Career Stats: 13.4 ppg, 10.1 apg, 3.3 rpg, 1.6 spg, 32.6% 3P
• Isaiah Thomas Career Stats: 19.2 ppg, 9.3 apg, 3.6 rpg, 1.9 spg, 29% 3P
If the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is purely about your performance, Hardaway deserves to be there. Let Hardaway’s greatest crossover be into the Hall of Fame amongst his legendary peers, Mullin and Richmond.
