Hardaway graduated fromMiami Palmetto High School in the Pinecrest neighborhood of Miami-Dade County, Florida.[4] As a freshman, he playedhigh school football for a year before focusing on basketball.[5] As he focused on basketball, he had a tumultuous relationship with his father, who acted like a second coach.[5] His first college recruitment contact was byUniversity of Michigan, communicating by mail during his second year.[5] During his junior year, Michiganhead coachJohn Beilein invited him on an unofficial visit to watchMichigan play No. 4Duke on December 6 to see unranked Michigan pull an upset.[5] The 81–73 victory was an important win for the program.[6] Following his junior season, Hardaway began training with Ed Downs, with whom he would work every summer until he became an NBA draftee.[7] In the summer before his senior season, he attended Beilein's Elite Camp inAnn Arbor, Michigan, receiving an offer that he accepted. At the time, Hardaway was unranked in theRivals.com Top-150 and his only other offers were fromMinnesota andKansas State.[5] He was a first team All-City selection in 2009 and 2010 after being a third team selection in 2008. During his 2009–10 senior season, he averaged 31.7 points, 7.3rebounds and 4.0assists.[1] In the Florida state championships againstPine Crest School, he posted 42 points againstBrandon Knight who had 36.[5]ESPN rated him as the 93rd-best player and 28th-best shooting guard in the class of 2010.[8]Scout.com rated him as the 36th-best shooting guard in his class.[9] He was not top-ranked byRivals.com.[10] Hardaway has played summerAmateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for both the South Florida Heat[11] and Chicago's Mac Irvin Fire, where he teamed with 7-foot (2.13 m)Meyers Leonard andMcDonald's All-AmericanJereme Richmond.[12]
Hardaway joined the team that had just lostManny Harris who had declared for the2010 NBA draft,[13] and he began his season in the starting lineup for the 2010–11 Wolverines on November 13 againstSouth Carolina Upstate. Although Hardaway led the team in scoring in his first career game and the season opener with 19 points,[14] he was soon in a shooting slump that saw him shoot 4-for-30 on hisfield goals in late November games againstSyracuse andUTEP.[15] These games marked the beginning of a slump during which he went 13 consecutive games without achieving a 50%field goal accuracy and 19 games without exceeding that number.[16]
Hardaway earned four Big Ten Freshman of the week awards. On December 27, theBig Ten Conference named Hardaway co-freshman of the week along withJared Sullinger.[17] On December 23, 2010, againstBryant University,the team tied its December 13, 2008, single-game school record of 16three-point field goals made,[18] and Hardaway was one of three Wolverines to make 4 three-point shots.[18][19] It was Hardaway's first 20-point game.[17] On February 14, Hardaway earned his second Big Ten Conference Freshman of the week recognition for his first careerdouble-double on February 9 againstNorthwestern (17 points and a career-high 10 rebounds)[20] and a career-high 26 points on February 12 againstIndiana.[21][22] The following week, Hardaway earned a third Big Ten Conference Freshman of the week award as he became the first Michigan freshman to score 30 points in a game in eight years.[23] His thirty points came in a 75–72 February 19overtime victory over Iowa.[24] He had also scored 10 points and added 5 assists in a 54–52 loss toIllinois.[25] On February 28, Hardaway earned his third consecutive and fourth overall Big Ten Conference Freshman of the week recognition.[26] During the week, Hardaway extended his double-digit scoring streak to eleven by posting 22 points againstMinnesota on February 26 after scoring 16 against No. 12Wisconsin on February 23.[26][27][28] For the week, he shot 9 for 15 on his three-point shots.[27][28]
As a result of the three consecutive freshman of the week performances and a final week in which he scored 20 in the team's only game, he averaged 20.1 points during the final 7 games of the regular season while the team won six of its final eight,[16] which enabled it to finish tied for fourth for the conference standings and earn the fourth seed in the2011 Big Ten men's basketball tournament.[29] He led the team in scoring during the 18-game conference schedule of the2010–11 Big Ten Conference men's basketball season, edging out teammateDarius Morris by a 268–263 (14.9–14.6 points per game) margin. He also led the team insteals (1.17/game),free throw percentage (71.2%, min. 2.0 made/game), three-point shooting percentage (44.2%, min. 1.0 made/game), and three-point shots made per game (2.56) over the course of the conference schedule.[30] Following the Big Ten Conference season, Hardaway was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and the media. Hardaway was also one of two unanimous All-Freshman team selections by the coaches.[31] He was one of 21 players selected to the 2011Collegeinsider.com Freshmen All-America selection.[32]
In the semi-finals of the 2011 Big Ten tournament againstOhio State, he set the Michigan freshman single-season three-point shots made record of 74.[33] For the season, Hardaway led the team in three-point shots made per game andfree throw percentage (among qualifying players).[34] He finished the season with 16 consecutive double digit scoring efforts.[35]
As a sophomore, he was a preseason top 50 watchlist selection for theJohn R. Wooden Award and theNaismith College Player of the Year.[40] In the three-game November 21–232011 Maui Invitational Tournament, Hardaway scored 60 points against the No. 8Memphis Tigers,[41] No. 6Duke Blue Devils,[42] and2011–12 Pac-12 season favoriteUCLA Bruins,[43][44] which helped the team finish in third place and earned him a place on the All-Tournament team.[45] For his performance at the Maui Classic, he earned the Big Ten Player of the Week.[46] In addition, he was named Big Ten Player of the Week by College Sports Madness.[47] In the subsequent game, he picked up two fouls againstVirginia in the first 5:33 and sat the final 14:27 of the first half.[48] He finished the November 29 contest with just 5 points, snapping a 22-game double-digit scoring streak.[49] On December 29, he opened the2011–12 Big Ten Conference men's basketball season with 26 points againstPenn State, despite making only 1 of 7 three-point shots.[50] On January 8, 2012, he had his second career double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds against 19th-rankedWisconsin.[51] By early February, he was in a deep shooting slump.[52][53][54] He posted his second double-double of the season and third of his career on March 1 againstIllinois with 25 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.[55][56] As a sophomore, he earned the 2011–12 All-Big Ten 3rd team recognition by the coaches and media.[57] The team earned a share of the2011–12 Big Ten Conference regular season championship.[58]
Hardaway began the season with a double-double by scoring 25 points (including 5-for-5 three-point shooting) and adding 10 rebounds.[65] His fourth career double-double earned him his second Big Ten Player of the Week award.[66] Hardaway earned theNIT Season Tip-Off MVP with 39 points total in the November 21 semi-final and November 23 final againstPittsburgh andKansas State, respectively.[67][68][69] On December 20, he posted a career-high 7 assists againstEastern Michigan.[70][71] Hardaway suffered an ankle injury that caused him to miss the December 29 game againstCentral Michigan and that broke his 81 consecutive games played streak that went back to the beginning of his Michigan career.[72] In the subsequent game on January 3, he returned to the lineup for the2012–13 Big Ten Conference men's basketball season-opener againstNorthwestern with 21 points and four assists in a 94–66 victory.[73] Two games later on January 9, he tied a career high with 11 rebounds and added 15 points for his fifth career double-double.[74][75] On January 17, Michigan defeatedMinnesota (#9 AP/#12 Coaches) atWilliams Arena, marking the first time Michigan defeated a top-10 team on the road since a December 6, 1996, victory by the1996–97 team overDuke.[76] Hardaway earned a second Big Ten Player of the Week Award following a 21-points performance on 7-for-8 shooting (4-for-5 three-point shot) with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks.[77] On January 28, Michigan was ranked number one in theAP Poll with 51 of the 65 first-place votes.[78] It marked the first time Michigan ranked atop the AP Poll since the1992–93Fab Five team did so on December 5, 1992.[79] On February 5, Hardaway tallied a career-high 6 three-point shots, including three on consecutive possessions to give Michigan its first lead of the second half in anovertime victory againstOhio State.[80][81]
Prior to the2013 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, Jeff Goodman ofCBSSports.com named Michigan with Hardaway first among tournament teams in terms of having the most futureNBA talent on its roster (in the absence ofKentucky who was relegated to the2013 National Invitation Tournament).[82] As a number four seed, Michigan defeated its first NCAA tournament opponent,South Dakota State, 71–56.[83] Hardaway established a new NCAA tournament career-high with 21 points. The 27th victory of the season gave the team its most wins in 20 years and matched head coachJohn Beilein's career high.[84] In the regional finals on March 31 againstFlorida, freshmanNik Stauskas made all 6 of his three-point shot attempts, pushing his single-season total to 79 and surpassing Hardaway's single-season freshman school record.[85] Following the regional championship postgame prayer and with Mrs. Beilein's consent, Hardaway andMitch McGary gave coach John Beilein agatorade shower.[86] In the April 6 national semi-final againstSyracuse, Hardaway contributed a team-high 13 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.[87] Two nights later, Michigan lost in thechampionship game toLouisville by an 82–76 margin as Hardaway contributed 12 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.[88]
On April 17, Hardaway declared for the NBA draft.[89] Hardaway signed withsports agent Mark Bartelstein, the father of a former Michigan teammate, who represents 37 NBA players.[90][91] Hardaway was one of 60 players invited to theNBA Draft Combine.
Following the2012–13 Big Ten season he was a 1st team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and a 2nd team selection by the media.[92][93] On March 12, theU.S. Basketball Writers Association named Hardaway to its 2012–13 Men's All-District V (OH, IN, IL, MI, MN, WI) Team, based upon voting from its national membership.[94][95] He was named to theNational Association of Basketball Coaches Division I All‐District 7 first team on March 26, as selected and voted on by member coaches of the NABC, making him eligible for the State Farm Coaches’ Division I All-America team.[96]
On July 8, the Knicks announced that Hardaway signed a four-year, $6.1 million contract, clearing the way for him to play in the2013 NBA Summer League.[100] In the second game of the summer league, on July 14, he suffered a bruised wrist. Hardaway's Summer League season ended as a result of the mishap, although the injury only had a short-term impact.[101]
Hardaway committed to represent the Knicks in2014 NBA Summer League.[116][117] In five summer league games, he averaged 22.8 points per game,[118] which was second in the league.[119] He earned NBA All-Summer League second team recognition.[120]
On January 24, 2015, Hardaway posted a season-high 25 points along with 6 rebounds and 5 assists against theCharlotte Hornets.[121] After playing two minutes against thePhoenix Suns, Hardaway injured his wrist on March 15.[122] He then missed the next 9 games before returning to the lineup on April 3 against theWashington Wizards.[123] He again posted 25 points in the season finale on April 15 againstDetroit.[124]
On June 25, 2015, Hardaway was traded to theAtlanta Hawks in exchange for the draft rights toJerian Grant.[125] Hardaway did not debut with the Hawks until November 24 against theBoston Celtics in the team's 16th game.[126]
On December 3, 2015, using the flexible assignment rule, the Hawks assigned Hardaway to theCanton Charge, theD-League affiliate of theCleveland Cavaliers.[127] He was recalled by the Hawks three days later.[128] On December 28, again using the flexible assignment rule, he was assigned this time to theAustin Spurs, the affiliate of theSan Antonio Spurs.[129] On January 3, 2016, he was recalled by the Hawks.[130] Two days later, he played in his first game for the Hawks since November 28, scoring three points in 12 minutes off the bench in a 107–101 loss to theNew York Knicks.[131]
Hardaway made his first start for Atlanta on March 17, 2016, against theDenver Nuggets. He posted a season-high 21 points, seven rebounds, four assists, a steal and no turnovers in a season-high 29 minutes, far surpassing his February 3 season best of 13 points againstPhiladelphia 76ers.[132]
In the Hawks' season opener on October 27, 2016, Hardaway scored 21 points off the bench in a 114–99 win over theWashington Wizards. Twelve of his points came in the final quarter as the Hawks extended their one-point lead.[133] On January 1, 2017, he matched his career high with 29 points, including a tying three-pointer with 3.3 seconds remaining in regulation, nine points in overtime and the go-ahead free throw with 10.8 seconds remaining in overtime, to help the Hawks defeat theSan Antonio Spurs 114–112.[134] On February 2, Hardaway contributed 23 of his career-high 33 points in the fourth quarter, as he helped his team rally from as many as 20 points down against theHouston Rockets to win the contest.[135] On March 3, he made five of nine three-pointers and scored a career-high 36 points in a 135–130 loss to theCleveland Cavaliers.[136] Hardaway had a career-high 9 rebounds to go along with 21 points on April 9 against Cleveland as part of a week in which Hardaway averaged 22 points in a 3–0 week for the Hawks.[137]
Following the 2016–17 season, the Hawks extended Hardaway a qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent.[138] On July 6, 2017, Hardaway received a four-year, $71 million offer sheet from the Knicks; Atlanta had 48 hours to match the offer or lose Hardaway.[139] The contract of $16.50M, $17.32M, $18.15M and $18.97M contained a player option in year 4 and included a 15% bonus of outstanding years 1 through 3 salary in the event of a trade.[140] The Hawks declined to match the offer,[141] and Hardaway signed with the Knicks on July 8.[142]
On November 8, withKristaps Porziņģis sidelined, Hardaway posted his first NBA career double-double with a game-high 26 points and 11 rebounds against theOrlando Magic.[143] On November 22, Hardaway scored a then-career-high 38 points in a 108–100 victory over theToronto Raptors.[144] On December 5, he was ruled out for at least two weeks with a stress injury to his left leg.[145] On January 12, he returned for the Knicks after missing 20 games. He scored 16 points in 25 minutes off the bench in a 118–108 loss to theMinnesota Timberwolves.[146] On March 23, he scored a career-high 39 points in a 108–104 loss to the Timberwolves.[147]
In the Knicks' season opener on October 17, 2018, Hardaway scored 31 points in a 126–107 win over theAtlanta Hawks. The Knicks had a franchise-record, 49-point second quarter behind Hardaway's 16-point quarter.[148] On October 29, he scored 25 points and tied a career high with eight assists in a 115–96 win over theBrooklyn Nets.[149] On October 31, he scored 37 points, including career highs of 7 three-point field goals and 10 field goals, in a 107–101 loss to theIndiana Pacers.[150]
On November 20, 2019, Hardaway was inserted into the starting lineup for the first time that season, scoring 20 points in a 142–94 win against theGolden State Warriors.[153] On December 8, 2019, he made a career-high 9 three-pointers in a 110–106 loss to theSacramento Kings.[154] Hardaway finished the regular season with a career-high 204 three-pointers made,[155] 7th most in the NBA.[156]
On November 19, 2020, after the conclusion of the 2019–20 season, Hardaway exercised his contractual option to remain with the Mavericks.[157] After the2020–21 NBA season, Hardaway finished 5th in voting for theNBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, one spot behind teammateJalen Brunson.[158] On April 30, 2021, (withLuka Dončić andDorian Finney-Smith sidelined), Hardaway posted his career-high 42 points against theDetroit Pistons.[159] On May 4, 2021, against theMiami Heat Hardaway went 10–18 for three-point shots. This tied two records. He tiedGeorge McCloud (December 16, 1995) and Wesley Matthews (December 6, 2015) for the Dallas Maverick single-game three-point shots made franchise record.[160] He tiedDuncan Robinson (December 10, 2019),Paul George (February 1, 2019) andJ.R. Smith (April 6, 2014) for theFTX Arena (the arena where his father's jersey hangs as a retired number) NBA record for three-point shots made (10).[161] With his 207 three-point shots made, he became not only the first Dallas Maverick with back-to-back 200-plus three-point-shot seasons, but the first with multiple 200-plus three-point-shots seasons.[162]
Hardaway re-signed with the Mavericks on a 4-year, $75 million contract on August 9, 2021.[163] On February 1, 2022, he underwent left foot surgery for his fifth metatarsal bone and was ruled out indefinitely.[164] According to theElias Sports Bureau, Hardaway and Dončić became the first pair of teammates in league history to each hit four-plus three-point shots in the same streak of five games from November 29 to December 6, 2022. During the streak, Hardaway Jr. shot 54.5% (30–55) on his threes, while the Mavericks went 4–1, and he became the 10th NBA player (2nd Maverick, McCloud 6 games, Feb 25 – March 5, 1996) to post five-plus three-point shots in at least five consecutive games.[165] With his 212 threes made in 2022–23 marked his third season with over 200 three-point shots. He remains the only Maverick with multiple 200-plus three-point-shot seasons.[162]
On December 18, 2023, Hardaway made two three point shots to pass his father for 44th place on theall-time list.[166] Hardaway reached the2024 NBA Finals where the Mavericks lost to theBoston Celtics in five games.[167] In game 4 of the series Hardaway established a Mavericks franchise record for most 3-point shots made in an NBA Finals game with 5. All of his shots were in the fourth quarter, tying him withRay Allen andKenny Smith in second place behindSteph Curry for most in a single quarter in NBA finals history.[168][169]
On July 6, 2024, Hardaway was traded alongside three future second-round picks to theDetroit Pistons in exchange forQuentin Grimes.[170] On December 16, afterMiami went on a 26–2 run to take an 8 point lead inovertime, Hardaway made consecutive three-point shots on three consecutive possessions in less than a minute span to put Detroit ahead and help lead them to a victory.[171] In a2025 NBA playoffs opening round game 3 118–116 loss toNew York, Hardaway set a career playoff best with 7 three-point shots made,[172] including his first 6 three point attempts and a 5–5 first half three point performance in what was the Piston's first home playoff game in 6 years.[173][174] The effort tiedChauncey Billups' 2003 performance for most single-playoff game three point shots made in franchise history.[175] Hardaway attempted a three point shot just before the final buzzer of game 4. He missed the shot resulting in a one-point loss and a 3–1 series lead for New York. Physical contact during the attempt fromJosh Hart was ruled to be a legal defensive play in the moment. However, in a postgame reviewcrew chief David Guthrie determined that a three-shot shooting foul should have been called.[176][177][178]
Hardaway represented Team USA at the2011 FIBA Under-19 World Championship, including a team high 21-points in the 5th place game against theHugh Greenwood-led Australia team.[180] Hardaway credits U19 assistant coachTom Thibodeau with improving his defensive skills.[181] On July 18, 2014, Hardaway was named to practice with theUSA Basketball National Select Team from July 28 to 31.[182]
He has a sister named Nia.[5] During the 2012–13 season, Hardaway memorialized deceased friends on his left shoe and deceased family members on his right shoe.[11]
^Ballow, Jonah (July 8, 2017)."Knicks Sign Tim Hardaway Jr". National Basketball Association.Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. RetrievedOctober 28, 2023.
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