It is not easy by any means to make it to the NBA. Going back to September of 2019, just 4,374 players had the honor of having played a game in the league, and a much smaller group from that could boast of having had long careers. Even fewer end up becoming stars, and one of those few is Tim Hardaway Sr., who played 13 seasons in the NBA.
Hardaway Sr. was a 5-time All-Star who had the best years of his career with the Warriors, and for his excellence on the court, he was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this year. He is one of the bigger names among the 13 who made it in this time around and gave a great speech after receiving the honor.
Tim Hardaway Sr. Had Some Touching Words For Tim Hardaway Jr.
He had some touching words in particular for his son, Tim Hardaway Jr., who has carved out a fine career in his own right in the NBA. The older Hardaway praised his son for keeping their basketball legacy alive and stated how proud he was of him.
"You have kept the basketball legacy alive and well… We are so proud of you"
Tim Hardaway Sr.'s words to Tim Hardaway Jr. during his #22HoopClass enshrinement speech. pic.twitter.com/A4yIW3sf57
— NBA (@NBA) September 10, 2022
“Tim Jr. you followed in the family footsteps and you have kept the basketball legacy alive and well. Tim, I introduced you to the game you love and we are so proud of you. We have so much joy watching you play and you be out there hooping your butt off. Keep up the good work.”
We spoke about how rare it is for someone to become a star in the NBA, but a father-son duo playing in the league is just about as rare as it gets. The younger Hardaway isn’t quite as good as his father, but he isn’t a slouch by any means and has established himself as a fine starting-caliber guard in the league.
He missed out on the epic Western Conference Finals run the Mavs just had this past postseason as he was nursing a left foot injury, and his return this upcoming season should be a big boost to a franchise that lost Jalen Brunson in free agency. The Mavs, despite Hardaway’s absence, managed to stun the top-seeded Phoenix Suns in the Conference Semifinals but the Warriors led by Stephen Curry were a bit too much to handle. Hardaway Sr. had some high praise for Curry recently, as he praised the Warriors superstar for overcoming his early injury issues to become the player he is today.
