“For once, I’m with a coach that’s all business” - Tim Hardaway took subtle shots at Rick Adelman while praising Pat Riley
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A coach can, without a doubt, make or break a player’s career in the NBA. If a player happens to play for someone who doesn’t have a clue what they’re doing, it can result in hampered development and, eventually, a career that wasn’t fully realized. On the other hand, if a player is fortunate enough to play for a coach who knows how to bring out the best in them, it can lead to success and a lengthy career in the pros.
Feisty guard Tim Hardaway experienced both sides of the coin. Picked 14th overall by Don Nelson and the Golden State Warriors in the 1989 NBA Draft out of the University of Texas El Paso (UTEP), the man known as “Tim Bug” helped the Warriors become relevant, combining with fellow All-Stars Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin to form the famed “Run TMC.”
However, despite earning three All-Star berths and averaging 19.8 points and 9.6 assists per game in his six seasons in Oakland, the 6-foot guard felt he wasn’t really playing to his full potential, especially when Rick Adelman took over the coaching helm of the Warriors in 1995.
It wasn’t until the native of Chicago was traded to the Miami Heat at the trade deadline in 1996 that he linked up with Pat Riley and finally achieved substantial individual and team success in the NBA.
Businesslike approach
Long before the term “Heat Culture” became popular, Hardaway shared that things in the Heat organization were already structured that way when he arrived. This meant a pronounced emphasis on discipline and a businesslike approach to preparing for the season and playing the games themselves.
While others may shy away from such a strict and demanding environment, Hardaway embraced it. He thrived under Riley’s tough coaching style and the team-first mentality that was ingrained in him from day one. In 1997, Hardaway averaged 20.7 points and 8.3 assists to lead the Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the Chicago Bulls, 4-1. For his efforts, he was named to the All-NBA First Team and finished fourth in the MVP race.
“For once, I’m with a coach that’s all business,” Hardaway said in Slam Magazine, subtly throwing a jab at his former coach.
“Straight business. Understands the commitment to winning. It’s his way or the highway! Ain’t no missing practice or coming late. Ain’t no special privileges. Everybody’s equal from one to 12. That’s the biggest difference between this team and that team…” the five-time All-NBA team member added, referring to the Warriors.
When playing for the Heat, players have to be physically and mentally prepared for the grind. Hardaway said that plenty of people warned him about this when they learned that the point guard was traded to Miami.
“When I came to Miami, man, I had people telling me, ‘You got to get down, you got to get down [talkin’ about his weight], or you’re not going to be able to handle these workouts that Pat Riley is going to put you through.’ It only took me two weeks to get down; Pat was running us!” Hardaway remarked.
Players are different now
As the Miami team is still being led in the same manner by Riley’s protégé, Erik Spoelstra, Hardaway expressed his view that Riles and Don Nelson might struggle to adapt to the modern game and the current generation of NBA players. Simply put, today’s players are raised differently and go through an entirely different system before they reach the pros.
Whereas Riley and Nelson had to earn their stripes in their playing careers before transitioning to coaching, the current crop of players have been groomed for success since their teenage years.
“In today’s game, I think they couldn’t adapt to today’s game because young players are totally different now,” Hardaway said. “You gotta understand, Pat Riley and Don Nelson played the same way, so when we was playing, we played the same way.”
NBA head coaches rarely get credit for developing players. However, Tim Bug has never shied away from giving credit to the legendary coach for shaping him into the player he became.