"You don't have the dignity" - Tim Hardaway Sr. slams Mavericks coach & GM for lack of clarity on son's limited role in Finals
Tim Hardaway Sr. is the biggest fan and supporter of Tim Hardaway Jr., his son. The Hall of Fame point guard famously consoled Junior when the Michigan Wolverines lost the 2013 NCAA championship to Louisville. From AAU to the NBA, the elder Hardaway has monitored his son’s basketball career.
The Miami Heat legend saw his son’s role with the Dallas Mavericks drop in the 2024 playoffs. Hardaway Jr. averaged 14.4 points on 40.2% shooting, including 35.3% from deep in 26.8 minutes in the regular season. In the playoffs, the younger Hardaway averaged 4.4 PPG, on 37.9% efficiency, hitting 35.1% of his triples while playing 12.7 MPG.
Tim Hardaway Sr. had this to say on the “All the Smoke Podcast” about his son’s lack of usage in the 2024 playoffs:
“For some reason, Jason Kidd and Nico [Harrison] are not telling nobody what’s the deal and that’s the hard part. I played with you [Kidd] on the 2000 Olympic team. We got gold together. We all in this fraternity together, and you don’t have the dignity to go to my son and just say, ‘Hey, this x, y, z. This is why I’m not playing you.’
Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd might not have told the Hardaways his plan but the Dallas' rotation in the playoffs painted a clear picture. As the postseason progressed, Derrick Jones Jr. and Josh Green steadily ate up Hardaway Jr.s minutes.
When Dallas reached the Western Conference finals, Jones averaged 33.0 MPG while Green normed 18.9 MPG. The younger Hardaway had to be content with 7.7 MPG.
Kidd wanted another perimeter player who could give Luka Doncic a breather on the defensive end. The Hall of Famer saw Jones and Green better suited for that role than Tim Hardaway Jr.
Tim Hardaway Sr. opened up about his support of his son during the 2024 playoffs
Tim Hardaway Sr. wasn’t on social media during the Dallas Mavericks’ 2024 playoff run. Behind the scenes, he was unsurprisingly on Tim Hardaway Jr.’s side.
Here’s what the elder Hardaway had to say in the same podcast about his role during his son’s limited playoff appearances:
“I was there talking to him. I was there consoling him. I was there just like a father was supposed to be and making him understand it’s going to be alright. It’s better days to come.”
The “better days” Tim Hardaway Sr. talked about will not be in Dallas as his son was traded to the Detroit Pistons in the offseason. Mavs GM Nico Harrison sent Hardaway Jr. to Detroit with three second-round picks for Quentin Grimes.
Regardless of where Tim Hardaway Jr. plays, his father wouldn’t be too far behind to cheer for and encourage him.