Miami Heat Legend’s Son Reflects on First Victory Over His Father
The first time any child beats their parent at something is a bittersweet moment.
The significance of such an occurrence applies to professional athletes, too. Just ask Miami Heat legend Tim Hardaway Sr. and his son, Tim Jr.
During a recent appearance on the Official Detroit Pistons Podcast, the younger Hardaway reflected on growing up as the son of an NBA player—and not just any player at that. Hardaway Sr. earned five All-Star selections and entered the Hall of Fame in 2022.
If some of the world’s best basketball players couldn’t stop Hardaway Sr., what luck did his son have?
No matter how hard Hardaway Jr. tried, it took him years to defeat his father in a one-on-one game. There were no fluke victories for a pre-teen Hardaway.
And then, Hardaway Jr. hit high school. Suddenly, he realized he had a chance.
“My sophomore year, I beat him,” Hardaway Jr. said. “I went past him and tried to go for a dunk in front of his friends. He grabbed the back of my jersey in mid-air and then threw me down on the ground. It was after that. He was like, `No more.”
“It was no more one-on-one,” Hardaway Jr. added. “But that’s when I knew I could really compete and hoop with the old guys.”
Hardaway Sr. was a true double-double threat who averaged 17.7 points and 9.3 assists over 13 NBA seasons. Some of his best years came with the Heat, who retired his No. 10 in 2009.
The younger Hardaway, who entered the NBA in 2013, didn’t necessarily follow in his father’s footsteps.
“We did ball-handling a lot first, but I just always loved shooting,” said Hardaway Jr., who owns career averages of 13.9 points and 1.8 assists. “Always loved shooting the rock. … He’s the better, I would say, all-around player, but he’ll definitely say I’m the better shooter.
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Jake Elman works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at [email protected] or follow him on X @JakeElman97.
