Tim Hardaway Jr. Bio
Timothy Duane Hardaway Jr., born on March 16, 1992, in Alameda, California, is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association. Listed at 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) and 205 lb (93 kg), he plays the small forward and shooting guard positions, wears jersey number 10, and is known for his perimeter shooting. He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines and was selected 24th overall in the 2013 NBA draft by the New York Knicks. The son of Hall of Famer Tim Hardaway, he has built a long NBA career through stints with the Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, and Detroit Pistons.
Early Life and Background
Timothy Duane Hardaway Jr. was born in Alameda, California, while his father, Tim Hardaway, was a member of the Golden State Warriors. He is the son of Yolanda Hardaway and former NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway, giving him a deep basketball pedigree from the start. He has a sister named Nia, and the family eventually relocated to the Miami area during his childhood.
Hardaway attended Miami Palmetto High School in the Pinecrest neighborhood of Miami-Dade County, Florida. As a freshman, he played high school football for a year before deciding to focus on basketball, a choice that shaped his athletic development. During his formative years, he had a complex relationship with his father, who acted as a second coach as Tim Jr. sharpened his game.
His first college recruitment contact came from the University of Michigan, which reached out by mail during his sophomore year. As a high school senior, he averaged 31.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists, including a 42-point performance against Brandon Knight in the Florida state championships. ESPN rated him as the 93rd-best player in the class of 2010, and he accepted a Michigan offer over Minnesota and Kansas State.
Path to Basketball
Hardaway joined the Michigan Wolverines for the 2010–11 season, stepping into the starting lineup immediately. He earned four Big Ten Freshman of the Week awards and led the team in scoring during the conference schedule, edging out teammate Darius Morris by a 268–263 margin. He also set the Michigan freshman record for single-season three-point shots made with 74 and was a unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman team selection.
As a sophomore, Hardaway was a preseason top-50 watchlist selection for the John R. Wooden Award. He scored 60 points across three games at the 2011 Maui Invitational Tournament, earned Big Ten Player of the Week, and helped Michigan claim a share of the 2011–12 Big Ten regular-season championship. He earned 2011–12 All-Big Ten third-team recognition for his performance.
In his junior year, CBS Sports listed him as the 35th-best player in its preseason top 100, and he and Trey Burke were widely regarded as one of the best backcourts in college basketball. He helped lead Michigan to the 2013 national championship game, where they fell to Louisville 82–76. Following the season, he declared for the 2013 NBA draft and signed with sports agent Mark Bartelstein.
Tim Hardaway Jr. Career
Early Career (2013–2015)
Hardaway was selected 24th overall by the New York Knicks in the 2013 NBA draft and signed a four-year, $6.1 million contract in July 2013. He made his regular season debut on October 30, 2013, against the Milwaukee Bucks, scoring 5 points in 15 minutes. By early January 2014, he had been named a Rising Stars Challenge participant and set a then-career high of 29 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
As a rookie, he finished fifth in the NBA Rookie of the Year Award balloting and earned NBA All-Rookie First Team honors for the 2013–14 season. In his second season, he posted a season-high 25 points against the Charlotte Hornets on January 24, 2015, though a wrist injury in March limited his availability late in the year. On June 25, 2015, he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for the draft rights to Jerian Grant.
Atlanta Hawks Breakthrough (2015–2017)
Hardaway did not debut with the Hawks until November 24, 2015, against the Boston Celtics in the team’s 16th game. He was also assigned to the D-League during his time in Atlanta, with stints at the Canton Charge and the Austin Spurs, before being recalled in early January 2016. He made his first Hawks start on March 17, 2016, posting 21 points, seven rebounds, and four assists against the Denver Nuggets.
The 2016–17 season proved to be his most productive in Atlanta. On January 1, 2017, he matched his career high with 29 points to help the Hawks defeat the San Antonio Spurs 114–112 in overtime. He later set a new career high of 33 points against the Houston Rockets and then raised it again to 36 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 3, 2017. Following the season, the Hawks extended him a qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent.
New York Knicks Return (2017–2019)
On July 6, 2017, Hardaway received a four-year, $71 million offer sheet from the Knicks, and Atlanta declined to match. He re-signed with New York on July 8 and quickly became a focal point of the offense. On November 22, 2017, he scored a then-career-high 38 points in a 108–100 victory over the Toronto Raptors, and he later raised that mark to 39 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 23, 2018.
He opened the 2018–19 season with 31 points against the Atlanta Hawks, helping the Knicks set a franchise-record 49-point second quarter. On October 31, 2018, he scored 37 points and set career highs of 7 three-point field goals and 10 total field goals in a loss to the Indiana Pacers. On January 31, 2019, he was traded, along with Trey Burke, Courtney Lee, and Kristaps Porziņģis, to the Dallas Mavericks.
Dallas Mavericks Era (2019–2024)
Hardaway was inserted into the starting lineup on November 20, 2019, scoring 20 points in a 142–94 win against the Golden State Warriors. On December 8, 2019, he made a career-high 9 three-pointers against the Sacramento Kings, and he finished the season with 204 three-pointers made, seventh most in the NBA. He finished fifth in voting for the 2020–21 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award and posted a career-high 42 points against the Detroit Pistons on April 30, 2021.
He tied the Mavericks’ single-game three-point record with 10 made threes against the Miami Heat on May 4, 2021, and became the first Maverick with multiple 200-plus three-point seasons. He re-signed with Dallas on a four-year, $75 million contract on August 9, 2021. During the 2023–24 season, he helped the Mavericks reach the 2024 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Boston Celtics in five games, and set a Mavericks franchise record for most three-point shots made in an NBA Finals game with 5 in Game 4.
Denver Nuggets Era (2025–Present)
On July 6, 2024, Hardaway was traded to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Quentin Grimes, where he spent the 2024–25 season. In a 2025 NBA playoffs opening-round Game 3 loss to the New York Knicks, he set a career playoff best with 7 three-point shots made, tying Chauncey Billups’ 2003 performance for the Pistons’ single-playoff game record. He signed a one-year, minimum salary contract with the Denver Nuggets on July 10, 2025.
During the 2025–26 season with the Nuggets, he surpassed the franchise’s previous single-season three-point record of 216, though Jamal Murray made even more that year for Denver. He finished the season having made more three-point shots than any other NBA reserve in the league, reinforcing his identity as one of the league’s premier perimeter shooters.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hardaway is best known as a three-point specialist with deep range, smooth mechanics, and the ability to score in bunches from the bench or as a starter. His track-type strengths include catch-and-shoot opportunities on the wing and pull-up threes in transition, where his footwork and confidence allow him to maintain efficiency. He has consistently been among the league leaders in three-point shots made, and his value to contending teams has been his spacing and shot-making in playoff environments.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his signature moments, Hardaway holds several Mavericks three-point shooting records, including the franchise’s single-game mark of 10 three-pointers and the most three-pointers in an NBA Finals game for Dallas with 5. He also set the Pistons’ single-playoff game made three-point shots record with 7 in 2025. He became the first Maverick with multiple 200-plus three-point seasons, a milestone he reached three separate times in Dallas.
Tim Hardaway Jr. Career Wins
Tim Hardaway Jr. has accumulated individual scoring milestones and franchise shooting records across his NBA stops, with his most prolific production coming in Dallas. While team win totals are not specified in the verified record, his career is defined by his role as a high-volume three-point shooter and reliable scorer.
Mavericks Highlights
Hardaway set a Mavericks franchise record for most three-point shots made in an NBA Finals game with 5 in Game 4 of the 2024 NBA Finals, all of which came in the fourth quarter. That performance tied him with Ray Allen and Kenny Smith for second place behind Steph Curry for most in a single quarter in NBA Finals history. He also tied the Mavericks’ all-time single-game three-point record of 10 with his performance against the Miami Heat on May 4, 2021, matching George McCloud and Wesley Matthews.
Other Wins and Performances
Hardaway’s college career at Michigan featured a national runner-up finish in 2013 and a shared Big Ten regular-season championship in 2012. At the high school level, he was a first-team All-City selection in 2009 and 2010, and he represented Team USA at the 2011 FIBA Under-19 World Championship, scoring a team-high 21 points in the fifth-place game against Australia.
Tim Hardaway Jr. Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Tim Hardaway Jr. comes from one of basketball’s most recognized families. He is the son of Yolanda Hardaway and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Tim Hardaway, a five-time NBA All-Star and one of the most iconic point guards of the 1990s. Growing up in such an environment gave Tim Jr. an early understanding of the demands of professional basketball and a high standard for his own career.
Personal Life
He has a sister named Nia, and during the 2012–13 college season, he memorialized deceased friends on his left shoe and deceased family members on his right shoe, reflecting the personal losses that shaped his journey. He credits U19 assistant coach Tom Thibodeau with helping improve his defensive skills during his time with Team USA in 2011.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025–26 season marked Tim Hardaway Jr.’s first year with the Denver Nuggets after signing a one-year, minimum salary contract on July 10, 2025. He quickly established himself as a key reserve and three-point threat off the bench, surpassing the franchise’s previous single-season three-point record of 216 set by Michael Porter Jr. two seasons earlier. Although Jamal Murray finished the year with even more three-pointers for the Nuggets, Hardaway still led all NBA reserves in three-pointers made during the season.
His production provided the Nuggets with valuable spacing alongside Nikola Jokić and Murray, helping Denver remain a contender in the Western Conference. He played in a defined role as a movement shooter, with the team’s offense benefiting from his ability to knock down open looks. His contract with Denver is set to run through the end of the 2025–26 season.
Looking ahead, Hardaway’s performance reinforced his reputation as one of the league’s most reliable perimeter shooting options off the bench. His 2025–26 campaign demonstrated that he can still produce at a high level, and his veteran presence and shooting ability figure to keep him in demand for contending teams in future seasons.
