Tim Hardaway Sr. is soaking in the moment he's waited 15 long years for. And it is beautiful to witness Hardaway finally get the recognition his playing career warrants, especially after rectifying the errors of his past that served to delay his inevitable enshrinement to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Known for owning one of the nastiest crossovers the NBA has ever seen, Tim Hardaway, the Warriors and Heat legend, gave the crowd a show during his Hall of Fame jacket presentation, busting out his signature move in front of the crowd that included his son, Dallas Mavericks guard Tim Hardaway Jr.
It was an overall heartwarming moment, as Hardaway was joined to the stage by his mother Gwendolyn and his father Donald, with Hardaway Jr. up on his feet, plastered on his face a genuine smile beaming with pride for his father's accomplishment. The five-time All-Star is certainly feeling like a child again, despite having turned 56 earlier this month.
With his crossover gesture, Hardaway is surely looking back at his days as one of the most electric point guards in the league alongside Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin, affectionately known as the Run TMC trio of the Warriors in the early 1990s. Hardaway suffered a knee injury in 1993 which kept him out for an entire season, and that's when his career in Oakland began to slip.
A trade to Miami rejuvenated Hardaway, where Pat Riley paired the explosive guard with Alonzo Mourning, establishing the now-famous Heat Culture.
Hardaway now joins Richmond, Mullin, Riley, and Mourning in the Hall of Fame, the first two joining Hardaway's five-person team of presenters. Joining Hardaway's Run TMC pals will be Isiah Thomas, Yolanda Griffith, and Nate “Tiny” Archibald, whom he credits for playing an integral part in his growth both as a player and a person.
Congratulations again to Tim Hardaway for his much-awaited induction to the Hall of Fame!