Key Takeaways:
- NBA legend Tim Hardaway predicts Luka Dončić will win the 2026 NBA MVP.
- Hardaway says there have always been rumors of “side deals” in the NBA, comparing them to the current Kawhi Leonard–Clippers investigation.
- Hardaway swears by old-school nutrition: “If you want a long NBA career, drink regular milk.”
- Hardaway reflects on mentoring young stars, the importance of mental toughness, and why guards thrive in today’s fast-paced NBA.
It’s a dream time to be a star guard in the NBA. The “Pace and Space” era means more freedom than ever: open lanes, deeper three-point range, and room to create.
While many NBA oldheads complain about today’s game, one legend both celebrates the present and warns about what’s brewing off the court.
We sat down with NBA legend Tim Hardaway Sr. (the original king of the killer crossover) for an exclusive Q&A on everything from Jonathan Kuminga’s future, to Jimmy Butler’s exit from Miami, to why milk builds stronger bones. And with the NBA board of governors meeting today to address the Kawhi Leonard salary-cap scandal, Hardaway’s candid comments about side deals around the league land at the perfect moment.
(This Q&A has been edited for brevity)
Q: Jonathan Kuminga is still locked in a prolonged contract dispute with your old team, the Golden State Warriors. Neither side seems convinced about the long-term fit, but restricted free agency has kept him in limbo. From your perspective, how does restricted free agency limit young players’ ability to control their careers?
Tim Hardaway:I will tell you this: the (players) had to agree on that CBA. They had to agree on their CBA. You can disagree on it, and you can take a hard stance and say, “Look, I'm not going to agree to it. I don't want it.”
A lot of these guys have to just stand on what they believe in.
I think that in all Collective Bargaining Agreement talks, there’s probably one or two owners that don't want something in the CBA. There are about a hundred or 200 people that's on the other side with the teams or the players that don't want something.
So they all gotta come together– and I guarantee you – the majority of them didn't wanna go that way, but they were persuaded to go that way because they were looking at the money that they were getting already.
So now they understand that we messed up, we should not have done that collective bargaining agreement, so we could be this unrestricted free agent. Now the teams could squeeze him, could see what other teams are going to come, and if no other team's gonna come, what you gonna say? What are you going to do?
It's bad. And I feel for the guys. That's why you gotta go get that money when you gotta go get that money. And I always say, don't leave no money on the table. I always say, “Go get it no matter what. Go get it.”
It's difficult for Kuminga. I know he doesn't fit in their skin. After two or three years, you know you don't fit, and you try to get a trade.
When there's a lot of teams that know that you want this type of money and know that you're going to be unhappy if we don't give you that type of money, but we don't think that this is what we should pay you, it's kind of tough out there in that market.
It's kind of tough. And he's gonna have to bite the bullet.
He's gonna have to sign a one-year deal. He's gonna have to go in there and play his ass off.
He's going to have to make it where either they're gonna trade him or they are not gonna trade him. That's the only thing I can say. But I think he's a good player. I just think that Steve Kerr lost faith in him and I don't think that he's going to be there.
I don't think he's gonna be there for half the season.
Q: You played 13 years in the league and retired at 36. Today, veterans like Jimmy Butler, Steph Curry, and Draymond Green face the challenge of staying healthy while still winning enough games. What’s the biggest adjustment for players at that stage of their careers?
TH:Staying healthy.
We were used to playing and practicing, playing and practicing. We were used to it 'cause our body was used to it, you know?
People are trying to do this study about gym shoes, low cuts, why they hurt their Achilles, and stuff like that.
I say their bones are still fragile.
Their bones haven't matured. Their bones haven't really gotten strong because a lot of these guys, if you look at them , don't drink milk. They don't drink real vitamin D milk. When we were growing up, our parents urged us to drink vitamin D milk. It is kind of funny, you know, 'cause I laugh when I say this, you know?
We used to pass gas in school a lot because of the vitamin D milk, and walk around passing gas.
But you know what? It was for your bones. It helps your bones get stronger.
When you broke an arm, when you broke a shoulder, when you broke something, broke a wrist, they always, the doctors, were like, drink milk, drink milk, drink milk. That's going to mend your bones and make it stronger.
All this lactate intolerance and, you know, “We drinking this skimmed milk and we drinking that other milk” and you’re not drinking regular milk.
That helps you develop your bones and get them stronger.
But it is all about taking care of your body. And I think Draymond, Steph, and Jimmy Butler do a great job of taking care of their body. But now it is gonna be a real test of time.
The Warriors truly don't have a bench still. And you need a bench. That's how they won championships because they had a bench to come in and solidify and sustain what the first five starters had done.
But now they don't have a bench, and they are not solidifying or they gotta come in and give 'em that little oomph that, but these guys don't have it.
Q: You played for Pat Riley, and he’s still running things in Miami. What was your reaction to how the Jimmy Butler era ended with the Heat?
Tim Hardaway:I was surprised. But Jimmy is gonna be Jimmy. Jimmy wanted an extension. Pat Riley said, “Why do I owe you an extension? You were hurt for the last couple of years going into the play-in game.”
I know some things that were going on there that Jimmy was doing that I can't reveal, but it wasn't good and it wasn't good for the team.
It wasn't good for the organization, and it was tearing the organization apart, and it was tearing the team apart a little bit.
But Jimmy is a great basketball player; he wanted what he wanted. Pat was like “No, I'm not gonna give you what you want, because I gotta take a stance on something”
He took a stance on that and made him understand that I don't have to pay.
Riley said, “If you want to be disgruntled, we could take some of your money.”
If you are under a contract, you gotta play under the contract, no matter what an owner or GM says, you are still under contract.
And it goes back to the Cowboys, with Micah Parsons.
Hey, you are under contract. And if Jerry wanted to keep you for another two or three years, he could have held you under contract and you still gotta go play
Jimmy, you were under contract. Why don't you go out there and play 82 games and get us past the play-in game? Take us to another level.
That's what Pat was telling him, and he didn't want to do that.
And he was like, you know, you're not giving me, getting me help either, Pat, you know I like these guys, I like them, but I'd still need another, another guy on the team that could help me. So yeah, it got ugly, but Pat stood on his ground, which Pat is going to do, and what he feels is right for the team.
And that was it. Everybody’s moving forward, and you're with your team, I'm with my team, and let's be happy.
Q: Looking ahead, what direction do you think the Miami Heat should take moving forward?
Tim Hardaway:Try to make the playoffs. Try not to be in the play-in games. Try to make the playoffs. First of all, let's be healthy.
Herro, Bam, Wiggins – everybody on the team.
Let's be healthy. Let's be as healthy as we can all season long. And if they are healthy a lot of teams are scared of them.
I like Davion Mitchell, the point guard that they got from Sacramento. I love him. I love his play. I think he understands what he needs to do as a point guard.
He needs to be more aggressive, not to look for a shot, but to make a play. That's what I think he needs to do, be more aggressive in making plays and making stuff happen for his team. And even if you get to the rim, you don't have to shoot.
They have some, some pieces. I think they are looking for another piece.
You always wanna go young. You always want to look for that young guy. For that young superstar. That one piece that comes and helps you out.
Giannis is gonna go where Giannis wants to go. Is that Miami? I don't know! They don't know.
Giannis would go where he wants to go.
Other than that, who is really out there that’s young or that you can get?
You have to stay confident that you get the right pieces here and there and make it happen.
I'm still believing in what they have right now, and I like what they have right now.
I like their chances in the East right now.
With Indiana, what they’re going through. With Boston and what they’re going through. The only thing you gotta look at is the Knicks. Milwaukee, maybe. Detroit, Orlando – they are coming.
That's teams you gotta look at, and I think the Heat is right there.
Q: Thinking back to the Jimmy Butler trade drama last season — how do players manage constant trade rumors during the season?
Tim Hardaway:You can't have a weak mind.
Tyler Herro didn't have a weak mind. He blocked all that BS out.
He went out there and understood what he needed to do. First of all, he wanted to be healthy. That's his first thing.
He wanted to come out and, and play healthy all season long, which he did. He knew what he could do.
And once all that Butler drama happened, he said, “You know what? This ain't my BS.. I'm already signed. I'm already here. Let me go out and do what I'm supposed to do for my team. I'm gonna put them on my back, I'm gonna be the leader of this team, and I'm going to try to carry this team to that next level.”
That's what he did. That's what you gotta do as a basketball player.
You gotta leave all that other stuff alone. When somebody talks to you, say the right things and just keep it moving.
Believe in your abilities to go out there and play at a high level. And that's what he did. Him and Bam. And the rest of the team they came out and they just did what they had to do.
They believed, and that's all you can do. And they had confidence in themselves to go out there and play hard.
This past season in the playoffs, the way they played. They understand what they need to do coming into training camp and to take them to that next step to be in a really good team in the East. With everything that went on, it really helped them with their mental state to get stronger
To understand what they need to do and understand what Spo wants them to do, and come out and do it on the court this season, and make up some ground and be top five in the East.
Q: We’re six months removed from the blockbuster Luka Dončić trade, and the Mavericks now have Cooper Flagg. How do you think that move worked out for Dallas?
Tim Hardaway:It worked out very well. You trade one of the top five guys in the NBA. And then get number one pick – who ever thought that would happen?
I don't know where they're going to put [Cooper] at. They got PJ Washington, they got AD, they got some other guys that can play and fit around Klay [Thompson].
[Kyrie] Irving’s coming back half season. I don't know where they're going to really play [Cooper] at, and I don't know how they're going to play him.
I don't know how they're gonna use them, because you gotta understand – these guys have already won championships. Klay’s that won championships, you got AD that’s won championships. I know you are the number one pick, but how are you gonna help us, and how are we gonna help you?
That's something that Dallas needs to figure out. This guy's a great talent. I think he's going to grow. He got the mind level to grow as a really good basketball player. But you gotta remember, he's a rookie. He's only 18, 19 years old. He's coming in.
His confidence can falter. You gotta have strong people that can build him up and keep him up. It's gonna be tough, man. It's gonna be tough
If they stay healthy, they can contend in the West for a Championship. But they gotta stay healthy, because I like the pieces that they have.
Q: How can the Mavericks give Cooper Flagg room to grow and make mistakes while still competing for a championship right away?
Tim Hardaway:That's something they have to figure out as a team, as a coach, you have to figure out his growth play. You gotta figure out his mistakes.
You can't beat him down. You have to keep his confidence level up because you don't need that guy. He's fragile. The kid is fragile. He is coming into a situation where they wanna win. Right now.
It’s not like Magic coming in after winning the championship and understanding how to run a team.
This guy is not like that. I don't think his mind is ready for that type of play right now. The pressure that they are about to put on the team. The pressure the press is about to put on him. You gotta go against guys that think they are better than you in the NBA. They looking at you like, “Hey, I got a chip on my shoulder, you number one. Let me see what you are about.”
It's a lot of stuff that you gotta help this guy with. His mindset is really good right now, but he hasn't been really thrown into that fire. His eyes haven't really gotten that big yet. We are gonna see if he is able to deal with it and understand what he needs to do to get better.
Sometimes he's gonna be doing too much. Sometimes he's gonna be doing less. So the learning curve, it could be short, it could be long. With a veteran team, they wanna win now. It's gonna be tough.
Q: Does Tyrese Haliburton have a real chance to surpass Reggie Miller in Indiana Pacers history?
Tim Hardaway:Reggie never had a real serious injury. Haliburton is a great talent. He was gonna have an epic Game 7.
You could see it in his eyes, you could see it in his demeanor and everything.
I feel sorry for him. My prayers go out to him and it's kind of tough.
But him getting past what Reggie Miller did. It's gonna be hard. They’re missing Myles Turner too. I don't know what happened with that. You could have given him whatever you wanted to give him, but you chose not to give him what he wanted, which was crazy to me.
Haliburton is not coming back all season. He's done for this season. He's done. He's not coming back. He already said they're done, and he's gonna come back healthy and 1000% better and stronger. He's actually gonna be a coach out there on the floor. Which is good for him and for his team.
But him eclipsing Reggie? I could see it. He got another two more runs in him to get to the finals.
I think they're gonna put the right pieces around him. They need a center, they're gonna need a mobile center.
They're gonna need a center that can do multiple things, like Myles Turner did. So I can see them getting back there.
Q: Everybody remembers Run-TMC. What does playing fast do for a point guard, and how does having the floor opened up change the game?
Tim Hardaway:It does a lot. It's a lot. You see the floor, really good. You can see the floor. You can set the tone for your teammates. You can make things happen if they run with you.
Then you can slow it down. We can slow it down with a big man.
Back then, I’d put it down low with Alonzo, myself, Jamal Mashburn.
Slow it down and get some movement out there and get some great shots for different guys.
Now it's all pick and roll. If I was a coach, I would have somebody have to come double-team.
The reason I don't like the rules, is because you can zone up.
Say you got a great player, like Jokic. You could play a zone on him. You confront him and put a man in back of him. And now you gotta figure out how to make something happen.
Let's devise a way of playing where we don’t have gimmicks!
Why do we always have the gimmick? The NBA is not supposed to be about gimmick, gimmick, gimmick. The NBA is supposed to be about, “Yo, let's get the ball down low. Let's get somebody man on man.” Or you got double-teamed and you gotta figure that out.
Now it's all about gimmicks.
I just don't like the defense, how it is. I just want to go back to man on man, down low, one on one. If you can't handle him, let's double-team.
Q: Who’s your pick to win NBA MVP this year?
Tim Hardaway:You know what? A lot of people are gonna be surprised.
He actually should have probably won it one time, but I'm gonna go with Luka Doncic.
I think that if he has a really, really good year. If he has a good year like he normally has and they end up in the upper echelons,
1-4 seed. Right around there. I think he has a really, really, really good chance of winning MVP.
He should have won it probably about two years ago. But he didn't win it.
He's that talented. But he still gotta do other stuff. Just because you lose weight, he's still gonna be the same Luka.
This is not overseas. This is the NBA. You're still gonna have to keep your feet in front of people. They are still gonna go at you. Just 'cause you lost weight,, they don't believe that you could play defense now.
You can move your feet now. You are as agile as you should be, and this and that. You're still 6’8, you’re still kinda slow. You still move at your own pace.
But I would put Luka down as MVP this year.
Q: What’s your reaction to the Kawhi Leonard-Clippers salary-cap investigation?
Tim Hardaway:Hey, if you can do it, you can do it!
If you get away with it, you get away with it. But I tell you this – where there's smoke, there's fire.
If the NBA thinks that you are wrong about doing stuff like that. They’re gonna get you, they're gonna get you.
I say this – I'm not for sure. I'm not sure. I’ve heard things. I heard things, just like a lot of people have heard things, that a lot of that has been going on.
We are talking about the 80s, the 90s. A lot of that has been going on. Under the salary cap, you can't pay 'em this, you can't pay 'em that.
Just don't get caught!
I'm gonna tell you this. Pat Riley tried to pay two people $20 million. Over $20 million a year.They were like, “How the hell are you doing that? And you got these other guys, you're going to pay. You can’t do that! If we find out that you told this guy this and told this guy that, then you're gonna suspend you we're gonna take this away, fine the team, and a lot of other stuff in ‘96. ”
(Editor’s note: In 1996, Pat Riley and the Miami Heat faced scrutiny over contract offers to Juwan Howard and Alonzo Mourning. The league later voided the Howard deal, and Riley maintained that the team had acted within the rules.)
He [Riley] had to take the contract away. He had to make sure that he didn't get fined or the team didn't get fined.
They were talking about suspending him for the whole year. Not, not like 50 games. They were like, suspend you for the whole year.
You try to get away with what you try to get away with. And let's see where the dominoes may fall and see if you get caught.
I'm all about somebody getting their money. I'm happy about you getting your money.
I'm ecstatic because you never know when you're going to go down. You never know when you're gonna get injured or you're not gonna play anymore.
There've been two or three guys – Isaiah Thomas and DeMarcus Cousins, that wanted that bag and waited, and then got hurt.
Which was unfortunate. They deserved it too. Get it how you can get it. If they find them in the wrong, it's going to be ugly…it's gonna be real ugly. That's unfortunate.
But if you get away with it, get away with it, that's what I say.
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