Tim Hardaway Jr. may share his dad’s namesake, but that’s about it. Following his workout with the Kings yesterday, the Michigan guard made a point of noting that he and his father share nothing in common when it comes to their games.
“A lot of people don’t realize we’re different types of players,” Hardaway Jr. said. “Everybody tries to compare us two. He’s 5’11; I’m 6’6. So totally different type of players, totally different positions.”
Indeed, the elder Hardaway was one of the best point guards of the 1990s, while his son plays the off-guard position. Despite their differences, there is one facet of his dad’s game that he would like to be a part of his.
“Ball-handling, obviously,” Hardaway Jr. said. “I mean, he invented the killer crossover. I did it one time against Kansas State earlier in the year, but that was about it.”
The 21-year-old former Wolverine also pointed out that different environments impacted the development of their games. Hardaway Sr. developed his playing style in the rough streets of Chicago’s South Side. But thanks to his success in the NBA, Hardaway Sr. was able to afford his son the luxury of growing up in Miami, where Hardaway Jr. dealt with a completely different set of distractions.
“Chicago was a basketball city,” Hardaway Jr. said. “Miami you know (there’s the) limelight, hanging out with your friends. You’ve got South Beach, you’ve got movies, so we grew up in two different types of worlds.”
WATCH: Tim Hardaway Jr. reflects on his dad’s experience in the NBA
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