But it wasn’t until he arrived at the University of Texas-El Paso that the basketball world at large first got a glimpse of the “UTEP two-step.” Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, Hardaway perfected the move over countless games in gyms and playgrounds all over the city. While he was not the first to do it, he was the man that made the move famous and his success with the Killer Crossover propelled the move to become a staple in the game for the past 30-plus years. Let’s begin by getting this out of the way: Tim Hardaway did not invent the crossover dribble. They are part of a lexicon of signature moves from some of the game’s all-time greats: Watch any basketball game today – NBA, WNBA, EuroLeague, NCAA, AAU, high school, pick-up games – and you will see the influence of both Hardaway and Ginobili on display thanks to a pair of signature moves that came to prominence thanks to these two icons – the Killer Crossover and the Eurostep. The two NBA players headlining the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2022 embody that idea – Tim Hardaway and Manu Ginobili. When discussing players entering the Hall of Fame, it is easy to get caught up in career resumes – an extensive laundry list of gaudy statistics, awards and accolades that each player achieved over the course of a long career.īut there is also the impact on the game that goes beyond earning awards such as Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, or scoring champion. Malone might have been wrong about a lot of the information he had about AIDS but he was right about getting back to reality, because Magic’s final moments on the court with other NBA legends was as surreal as any great dream or Dream Team.Check out some of Tim Hardaway's best crossovers throughout his career! The Dream Team was a concept everybody loved. You have a lot of young men who have a long life ahead of them. It may be good for basketball, but you have to look far beyond that. “Just because he came back doesn’t mean nothing to me. That decision sat well with the Mailman, who of course delivered his usual complaints. Magic would then play for the Dream Team that summer and pondered making a NBA return, but eventually decided against it. It was a storybook ending to a story we all thought in 1991 was going to have a tragic ending in the very near future. He dribbled and backed down Thomas to the 3-point line and then swished his third 3 of the quarter. Magic ended up with the ball with 8 seconds left on the shot-clock. MJ missed a jumper and then tried to prevent Magic from getting the ball on the other end. The legends were taking turns going at Magic and next in line was Michael Jordan. On defense, he went one-on-one with ex-rival Thomas and caused him to shoot an air ball. It started with a deep 3, then another 3, then a bullet pass for his 9th assist. Once the game started, Magic not only showed why he still belongs in the All-Star game, he showed why he was considered a star among the greatest stars in the final minutes of the game. The Orlando crowd greeted Magic with a standing ovation and longtime rival Isiah Thomas even greeted him with a kiss. The most vocal player who didn’t want to step on the court with Magic was Karl Malone, who always had issues with All-Star weekend to begin with.ĭespite the concerns, the NBA allowed Magic to play. That desire to see Magic in the game wasn’t as mutual among many players, including former teammates like AC Green and Byron Scott. Despite the announcement, fans still wanted to seem him play and voted him into the 1992 All-Star game. Three months earlier, Magic Johnson - one of the 3 greatest players of all-time (and considered better than Michael by many at this time) - announced his retirement because he was HIV-positive. It’s not everyday you see a deserving All-Star like Tim Hardaway give up his starting spot on an All-Star team, but this wasn’t an everyday situation.
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