Tim Hardaway

Tim Hardaway was a point guard who helped the United States win a gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Hardaway played in college at the University of Texas at El Paso, where he became known for his crossover dribble, later termed the “UTEP Two-Step”. In 1989 he was the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year and his #10 was later retired by the Miners.

Hardaway was drafted by the Golden State Warriors with the 14th overall pick of the first round of the 1989 NBA Draft. He went on to play in the NBA for 15 years, with the Warriors from 1989-96. While with the Warriors he formed a well-known trio with Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin that was termed Run TMC. He then spent six years with the Miami Heat (1996-2001) and finished his career in 2003 after short stints with the Dallas Mavericks, the Denver Nuggets, and the Indiana Pacers.

Hardaway averaged 17.7 points/game in his NBA career and had 8.2 assists/game. He was a five-time NBA All-Star (1991-93, 1997-98) and was named All-NBA First Team in 1997. In 1992, 1998, and 1999 he was Second Team All-NBA, while in 1993 he was named to the Third Team. His #10 was later retired by the Miami Heat.

After his playing career ended Hardaway had a coaching career. He coached the Florida Pit Bulls of the American Basketball Association in 2005-06, and from 2014-18 was an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons. His son, Tim Hardaway, Jr., also became an NBA player.

In 2007 Hardaway got himself into trouble when he made anti-gay and homophobic comments on a radio show. He later apologized for the remarks and worked to redeem himself, including in 2014 when he was the first signer of a proposed Florida law to allow same-sex marriage.