Q&A: Tim Hardaway Sr. on how young players can shine in the playoffs

When the stress rises in the playoffs, that’s when historical past is made.

Tim Hardaway Sr. is aware of this higher than most.

As a participant, the Hall of Fame guard and 5-time NBA All-Star surged onto the playoff scene throughout his second NBA season in 1990-91 as the “Run TMC” Warriors shocked the Spurs in the first spherical and gave the Lakers a scare in the West semifinals. With averages of 25.2 factors over 9 playoff video games, Hardaway Sr. completed the playoffs ranked fifth in scoring and set the NBA report for many steals in a playoff sport with eight in Game 2 towards Los Angeles. He retired in 2003 with profession averages of 16.8 factors, 6.8 assists and 1.6 steals over 56 profession playoff video games.

As a father, Hardaway Sr. has witnessed his son’s NBA journey over the final 13 seasons, which has included 48 playoff video games and a Finals run with Dallas in 2024, earlier than one other probably future with the Denver Nuggets this postseason.

With such a singular perspective on the sport to share, we related with Hardaway Sr. earlier than the playoffs to speak about postseason stress, legendary ball handlers, keys for Denver, different groups to look at throughout the playoffs, and extra.

Editor’s Note: The following dialog has been condensed and edited.

First off, congrats to your son’s alma mater. Do you cheer for the Wolverines? Or simply the UTEP Miners?

I all the time stick to the Miners. All the manner. But I reside right here in Michigan, and it’s been a very long time coming, man. Thirty years is a very long time. And they’ve been proper there not less than in 2013 and 2019. They’ve been shut, so it’s about time that they received it carried out.

From the NCAA to the NBA, as somebody who made a formidable playoff run throughout your 2nd season, what are a few of the greatest obstacles for a young participant or crew to beat in the playoffs?

Fatigue. Mental fatigue as a result of they haven’t been this far. You’re nonetheless getting used to taking part in 82 video games. Then you may hit 90 video games with the playoffs, after which after the season, you’re like, “Oh, man.”

Another factor is, if you wish to win and get to a championship stage, you can really feel it in the locker room at the finish of the season. And you can really feel it in a locker room at the starting of the season. When everyone comes in and also you all work out collectively, you can really feel the confidence. It’s nothing anyone’s saying. You can simply really feel the confidence of every particular person. How they stroll, how they act, how they work on their sport. Then if you come into coaching camp, the coach units the tone on what you’re going to do and how you’re going to do it. And everyone’s on that very same web page. There’s no complaining.

There’s no person being damaging and making an attempt to get in someone’s ear. You’ve received to be careful for these guys who discuss and don’t consider.

So it’s the mixture of the fatigue and having the proper locker room to take care of the stress. You can’t have these outdoors influences distract you from how troublesome it’s to win a title.

Just damaging power. You get uninterested in listening to the damaging stuff. If you bought that in your locker room, you’re not going to go ahead. Or someone who all the time received one thing to say as an alternative of simply going on the market and taking part in.

And simply taking possession of you. If you probably did one thing improper, it’s your fault. Stop making excuses. Stop saying, “If things would have broken this way, I would have done something different.” Or the referee didn’t name it this fashion, or no matter. Just cease making excuses. Get higher as a teammate so that you can make your crew higher. That’s what it’s about.

During your first playoff run, did the championship-tested Lakers do something that shocked you throughout the collection?

Yeah, that’s a fantastic level. Lots of people don’t perceive – we had Run DMC come out and introduce us. And Magic received actually mad. They had a huddle earlier than the sport and someone instructed me he stated one thing like, “They’re making a mockery of this game. They think it’s all fun and games. They got run DMC here. They think it’s a concert. They’re not serious …” and blah, blah, blah. “We’re going to show them what series is about. We’re gonna show them we shouldn’t have lost the last game at home. We’re going to show them what championship basketball, what playoff basketball is.” And that’s what he did. They got here out and blew us out by 30.

From that time, I used to be like, “Wow, that’s championship caliber right there.” Even although they went to the championship and misplaced to the Bulls that yr. But that’s championship caliber, and that reveals you how that you must method it and perceive it. You might not get right here once more. You might not get to the playoffs once more. So if you’re in the playoffs, take these things significantly and play to win. Don’t be out right here making it prefer it’s a live performance, such as you’re simply joyful to be right here. And that’s what he confirmed us. It was very eye-opening.

Do you suppose your NBA-record 8 steals in Game 2 have been a product of you having much less expertise? Were you taking extra dangers than you could have later in your profession?

When you examine and put together, you can see what guys are going to attempt to do. My palms have been fast. They realized from that sport, too. You make changes like, “All right, Tim Hardaway’s hands are quick. You can’t handle the ball down low. If you have the ball down low, he’s going to swipe it. Be careful around him when dribbling the ball because he’s really quick.”

After that sport, they understood how I may steal a ball and trick a man. But it was additionally numerous telegraphed passes and getting my palms on the ball after they have been making an attempt to carry it up for a layup or a leap shot. They made changes for the subsequent sport. It was all needed dangers. That’s simply basketball.

Later in your profession with Miami, did your Warriors playoff runs aid you mentally put together for these postseasons? Was your mindset totally different going into these playoff runs?

I took it the identical manner. Coming in very nicely ready, understanding what we have to do and how we have to do it. Just going on the market and doing what we’re presupposed to do. Taking the management position and speaking to the fellas to make it possible for everyone was on the proper web page. That’s what it’s about. So I dealt with issues the identical as I did in Golden State.

How do you suppose your model of play would have adjusted to the present tempo of the sport and the improve in 3-pointers? Would you will have stayed at level guard?

I’m all the time in some extent guard kind of mode. I may take over the sport once I wanted to take over the sport. But I didn’t have to take over the sport most of the time, so I simply handed the ball to make the proper play, get my crew in the proper offense, and run the offense. That’s what that you must do. But once I wanted to attain, I scored, as a result of I knew how to attain. The objective was to get everyone concerned and ensure they have been in rhythm. So once we wanted them at the finish of the sport, they have been able to shoot the ball and shoot with confidence and make it.

So, yeah. I might all the time be some extent guard. I’m going to all the time stand up and down. But in this period, the manner the sport is performed, that’s the manner we performed at Golden State in my first two, three years with Run TMC. We performed identical to this with working, passing, back-cutting, screening off down screens. We performed identical to that every one the time. So this is able to have fallen proper onto our plates as a result of that’s the manner we performed. You must get your different teammates concerned and provides them confidence. And that’s what we did. We have been very unselfish.

Could Run TMC have run even quicker?

[Laughs]. We have been going, what, 120, 125? Come on, man. It was full throttle. We could be the identical manner now.

Is there a former teammate of yours that you simply suppose would particularly thrive in right now’s period?

Definitely myself, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin, in fact. Mario Elie. With how the sport is now, there’s numerous motion, and that you must get your shooters concerned. There are numerous guys on the market like Kevin Johnson … Rod Strickland …  Allen Iverson, in fact.

But you already know, you want individuals who love to maneuver with out the basketball and know how to play, perceive angles and perceive how to chop. They may have performed in this period, no query. Dan Majerle, Cedric Ceballos, Rolando Blackman. Great shooters who may transfer with out the basketball, catch and shoot, and can dribble and get someone else a play.

There are a bunch of men in our period who may actually play now.

How locked in on the league are you lately?

Very locked in. I gotta be locked in all the time to see my son play and watch video games and assist him. I don’t wish to say assist him perceive, however I’m like a scout for him to see what the different man goes to do to him or what the different crew goes to do to him.

Do you discuss with him after each sport?

No, no, no. I don’t discuss to him like that about the sport. Most of the instances, if we wish to discuss the sport, he’ll name me and we’ll simply discuss the sport. But aside from that, I gained’t name him and discuss the sport. I simply depart it as much as him.

How has the manner you watch the NBA developed over the years? From earlier than you entered the league, to present participant, to former participant, to present father of a participant?

I used to be a GM earlier than I performed the sport of basketball. I knew once I went to the park who I needed on my crew. So I’ve all the time been a GM of the sport. Always been a fan of the sport.  Always watched the sport the identical. I’m all the time scouting. I’m watching the sport and I’m critiquing folks’s sport. I’m critiquing how they play. I’m generally jotting down notes and particular performs for someone who asks me, in order that they know what moments to return and take a look at. So yeah, I’m an avid fan.

What are the keys for Denver on this playoff run?

Defense. Get higher at protection. Not solely at crew protection, however they must get higher at being more durable. Don’t let the different crew beat you up first. They shouldn’t out muscle or out bodily you. Stop letting them begin pushing y’throughout at the begin of the sport. Start pushing them round first. Stop getting down by 10, 12, 15 factors as a result of in the playoffs, that’s not going to work. So you bought to smack them in the mouth earlier than they smack you in the mouth and present them that, look, that is the manner the sport goes to be performed and it’s how we’re going to play it. If you allow them to provoke it, then you definitely’re making an attempt to meet up with them.

So that and protection. And chopping down unforced turnovers. That’s a should for any crew. Got to chop down your turnovers.

And keep wholesome.

Yes, sure, primary, keep wholesome. Yes, that’s primary.

Any different groups you suppose will shine this postseason?

San Antonio. They can make that leap this yr as a young crew and say, overlook being young and having to undergo the bumps and bruises the place we lose and really feel the unhappiness earlier than we really feel the success. I believe they may say overlook that. We’re going straight by and making an attempt to win this factor proper now.

Another crew everyone’s is Detroit. I believe they’re for actual in the event that they get wholesome. I believe as soon as they get by that 1st playoff collection win, then they’re going to be all proper. But I believe it’s going to be a irritating, nail-biting, nervous kind of state of affairs, particularly in the event that they lose one at dwelling in the first spherical, then it’s going to be powerful.

As one among the best dribblers in NBA historical past, are there any former or present players you wish to give flowers to for his or her dribbling abilities?

White Chocolate (Jason Williams). Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. He had good handles. Of course, my man Rod Strickland. Kyrie Irving. Oh my god, I noticed Kyrie in the fitness center at some point and he made folks cease taking part in towards him reason for his handles. I used to be like, rattling, that’s loads. And he may end too. He’s nonetheless received some stuff we haven’t actually seen him pull out but.

Jamal Crawford, in fact. Chris Paul. Steph Curry. Isiah Thomas. Allen Iverson. James Harden.

I’m gonna say this, man, lots of people take a look at his scoring and how he will get the basket. But that dude Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has some good handles.

And Jamal Murray, too. And Brunson.

Sticking with crossovers, your new e-book is titled “Killer Crossover” – what do you hope readers will take away from the e-book?

Take away {that a} young man needed to undergo numerous adversity to make it to the NBA. But it was by no means a dream of mine. It simply occurred. I knew I used to be adequate, however I by no means took something as a right. I used to be all the time affected person. I all the time waited for my time. But I knew I belonged. I simply appreciated taking part in the sport of basketball.

But it’s about adversities that I went by from grammar faculty all the manner as much as once I made it into the NBA with off-the-court stuff. I needed to take care of that and never take it to the courtroom. Play the sport of basketball and depart different stuff behind till after the sport is over. It additionally covers working with my son and how I needed to be quiet and let him be his personal basketball participant.

I believe it will likely be particularly useful for teenagers arising. It’ll assist them with what they’re going by and how to navigate every part. But I inform youngsters right now, “Hey, listening is a skill, not an art.” You’ve received to take heed to folks, and also you’ve received to grasp what they’re saying, as a result of which may aid you in your life down the line.

Finally … “UTEP Two-Step” is one among the finest nicknames for a transfer in all of sports activities. Were you a fan of the identify if you first heard it? Or did it have to develop on you?

No, it didn’t have to develop on me. I’m going to let you know this, man. I didn’t know I had a crossover like that till someone instructed me. It’s like, “You know, your crossover is very nice.” I’m like, “Okay, well, I’m just dribbling a basketball. I’m trying to shake you and get to the rim.”

We have been taught you gotta stand in a field and cease losing dribbles and cease beating your self drained. Because at the finish of the sport, you’re gonna be drained. You’re not going to have your legs. You’re not going to have the ability to play protection. You’re not going to have the ability to do that or do this. So cease making an attempt to shake and bake and do all these things. Get to the rim, make a play, and that’s that. Let’s keep on with the script.

And then they simply began calling it the UTEP 2-step. I’ve all the time been humble. But once I’m on that basketball courtroom, it was like a demon in me. I’m simply going to come back on the market and simply kill you on the courtroom. Kill you. Every time you concentrate on me, you already know it’s gonna be a tricky night time. That’s what I needed, and that’s how I performed. And I had enjoyable doing it.