![]() ![]() It was hard.”Īs a rookie in 2013-14, Hardaway Jr was a regular rotation player and appeared in 81 games with New York. I’ve been through it all in the last five years. “I’ve been to the playoffs, been on the worst team in Knicks history, down to the League, to a point where I wasn’t seeing the court at all. He’s been a first-round pick, been part of the worst team in Knicks franchise history, traded, demoted, seen his minutes cut, made the playoffs and, most importantly, carved out a role for himself as a legit scorer who can get hot and give a team 30. Though he’s only been in the League since 2013, Hardaway Jr’s journey thus far has already taken him from New York to Atlanta to a stint in the G-League to the Hawks’ starting lineup, and now back to New York. I’m happy right now and I’m ready for the journey.” New team, new front office, new system and new goals. I lived up north in White Plains by the practice facility in Westchester. “You feel more like a Knick, you know? You always feel good when you’re living in the city for the team you play for. “It feels great to be back in New York,” he says at his apartment as his French bulldog Otto keeps an eye on things. While some pundits scratched their heads at the deal, the 25-year-old readied himself to begin his second stint as a Knick. In July, the shooting guard inked a four-year, $71 million contract with the Knicks, the organization that drafted him in 2013. Slightly lost in the shuffle was the big deal that brought Hardaway Jr back to New York. Instead of letting go of the rock at the apex of his jumper, he holds on to the ball and shoots me a bewildered look as his Jordan Vs hit the ground. ![]() ![]() “Especially once IT gets back from injury.”Īs he rises for another picturesque jump shot, I remind him that Dwyane Wade recently signed with the team, too. While Hardaway Jr works on his dribble and gets a few shots up on an uneven, net-less rim that is at least 12-feet high, I ask him what he thinks about all the moves that went down-in particular the heavy roster turnover that took place in Cleveland. Following an unseasonably warm early fall, there’s a chill to the air that reminds us that along with the grueling winter months ahead, NBA basketball is back after a fun offseason that saw superstars changing teams at a pace that had everyone’s heads spinning and Twitter feeds on fire. It’s the day before the NBA season is scheduled to kick off and Hardaway Jr is dribbling and shooting around on a beat-up court in Harlem’s Morningside Park. “All the concrete is messed up! Cracks everywhere and shit!” “I see why everyone in got handles now,” Tim Hardaway Jr says. ![]()
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