MANILA, Philippines — Tim Hardaway once enjoyed being the one revered.
Carving out a career that dazzled courts and awed spectators, the former Miami Heat and Golden State Warrior became an inspiration to eventual guards.
Now, Hardaway is the one doing the revering.
Gracing the NBA 3x Philippines’ culmination on Saturday, Hardaway bared that he’s a fan of a bunch of this era’s ballhandlers. But he saved the most praise for one guy.
“Kyrie Irving,” he shared. “Because he can make a shot.”
“You know, a lot of [players] like dribbling too much instead of going straight to the rim and making the play. They dribble to shake somebody. You know, we [weren’t supposed] to dribble for 24 seconds,” he offered.
“[Coaches were] like, nah, you can’t dribble for 24 seconds. Or you’ll sit by us. Now, they let them dribble for 24 seconds. Sometimes they get a rebound, they drive for another 24 seconds,” he rued.
Asked what else bothers him about the current ballhandlers’ approach, Hardaway, who was named to five All-Star lineups throughout his 14 years in the NBA, added nothing more.
“I just think they dribble too much at times, you know,” he said with a smile.
Hardaway, who has visited the capital prior this recent stop, was with former Boston Celtics big man and NBA Champion Brian Scalabrine.
The two retired cagers bore witness of the Filipinos’ knack for the specialized basketball format.