Sunken into one corner of a beige sectional couch in his family's living room, Tim Hardaway Jr. is watching a classic NBA Finals contest from 1985, part marveling at the abilities of greats like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, part mocking the pace of a game that seems so much slower than the one he is used to watching now.

The game on the screen, the championship-clinching Game 6 between the Lakers and Celtics, actually happened seven years before the 6-5 budding basketball star was born, so it seems especially ancient to him. There is actually a stack of VHS tapes to the left of the television that are older than him.

A few feet to his left, dad settles into a black chair, not at all insulted that his son is discussing the inabilities of players from a generation ago. Tim Hardaway -- he doesn't go by Sr. just yet -- played against half the players on the screen early in his career, so he quickly comes to their defense.

It's the type of perspective most high school basketball stars can't normally get from their dads. It's why this Palmetto High forward feels fortunate. And it's why, as his senior year approaches, his relationship with his father has never been better.

They play in pick-up games together. They train together. They fluidly finish each other's sentences or pick-up entire stories where the other left off.

It's Cosby Show-like in its harmony.

And it's a welcome change.

Not too long ago, the tension between a father desperate for his son to succeed and a son desperate to impress his dad was so palpable it nearly ruined a perfectly happy family. Ever since Hardaway decided to take a step back and gain a new perspective -- a father's perspective -- the two have managed to maintain a classic father-son relationship.

``I would get into arguments with my sisters for no reason,'' Hardaway Jr. said when trying to explain just how bad things got in the household back when his father was unnecessarily pushy.

It wasn't until midway through last season, a junior year that saw Hardaway Jr. earn Miami Herald All-Dade honors and lead his team to the regional finals, that Hardaway realized his approach to guiding his son was all wrong.

TOO MUCH NEGATIVE

Until then, he went with the only way he knew. Hardaway, who grew up on the unfriendly streets of Chicago, where ``it was negative, negative, negative, from your peers, from everyone,'' attempted to encourage his son by simply demanding better.

Positive reinforcement was a technique rarely used, supplanted mostly by angry orders to simply do better.

``He would always say, `Dad, I am, I am, I am. What do you want me to do?' He was frustrated with me. And I brought that on.

``We were arguing, me and my wife were arguing, the kids were like, `Come on, Dad.'

``He was mad at himself, and he was mad at me. When the household was ugly. We were all just tense. It's crazy, but it can happen. Because I was always on him. I wanted him to do well. That's just a dad.''

Hardaway Jr. still managed to be one of the more impressive talents in the area, his bloodline helping overcome any issues at home. But the strain of a dissatisfied dad was evident.

``Before, he would kind of press,'' Palmetto High coach Chris Brown said of his top talent. ``Being the son of an NBA legend like that, he's trying to impress his dad first and foremost. But you've got to just relax and just play the game.''

Just before the breaking point, Hardaway decided to reassess his approach to raising a son with the type of talent his did. He decided simply to raise a son.

``First of all, I had to check myself as a father,'' the former Heat great said. ``I had to make sure that I understood that this is my son first and not a player that I'm trying to coach.

``I really, really looked.''

He looked from a distance, choosing to separate himself from his family and sit high in the bleachers during a game between Palmetto and Coral Reef.

``One day, I just sat up there and looked at the game,'' Hardaway said. ``When I looked at it it was really my fault. I saw why I almost broke up a happy home. Because I was always on him.''

The realization was so sudden that it took no time at all for Dad to change his ways. It started at the very end of that loss to Coral Reef.

``He got in the car and I apologized to him. I said, `I'm sorry for getting on you all those times. Because I was treating you as a ball player and not as my son.' I didn't give him praise at all. At that particular time, that's when I became a dad, and I understood that if you want me to help you out, just let me know.''

The arguments have since ceased. Hardaway Jr. is free from those heavy thoughts that spun his head during games. And though Dad has backed off from pressuring his son, he hasn't backed away from his son, or his son's team.

With the blessing of Coach Brown, Hardaway instructs players on individual skills before practices and occasionally during the offseason.

``When I'm out there on the floor, I'm a coach,'' Hardaway said. ``I'm not getting on him -- I'm getting on everybody. I told him, if I'm going to do this for him, I might as well do this for all of y'all.''

EXTRA ATTENTION

Of course, Hardaway Jr. still gets the extra attention when he wants it. After all, it's not every player's dad who not only has the key to the Palmetto gym, but also gets pick-up basketball games twice a week featuring guys such as Carlos Boozer, Raja Bell, Penny Hardaway and a handful of current and former University of Miami players.

What better way to test your ability to dominate at the prep level than to be checked by Bell, the NBA guard who regularly guards Kobe Bryant about as well as anyone can.

``I think I am at an advantage because I've got [Hardaway] I can go to, and other guys that I play open gym with,'' Hardaway Jr. said.

If he is to be one of them, he won't look much like his dad. That's hard to do when you're six inches taller than your 5-11 father and play an almost entirely different game.

Hardaway Jr. isn't a point guard. He's not as clever with the ball in his hands. He's a distributor at times, yes, but it's not his primary concern. Not when he can shoot the ball so well and average double-figure rebounds.

Hardaway Jr. takes more pointers from the games of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James than he does from his dad's. But the elder Hardaway still sees similarities between their skills. Hardaway Jr. may not be a point guard. But he's still the son of a point guard.

``You know how people say, `Play the right way?' He plays the right way,'' Hardaway said. ``He understands the game inside and out, because I'm always talking to him about it.''

AND THE CROSSOVER?

But what about that killer crossover? Should that not be the ultimate hand-me-down? That blinding left-to-right, between-the-legs dribble that made Hardaway famous and made his opponents look silly must be in Hardaway Jr.'s repertoire, right?

Not even close.

``I try not to be like him,'' Hardaway Jr. said. ``I try to do my own thing. But if it comes down to it, I'll try it every once in a while in practice. But I won't do it in a game because I might turn the ball over or something like that.''

Heck, Hardaway Jr., who was born three years into Hardaway's NBA career, didn't even realize his dad had such a stellar move until he was an established member of the Heat.

Hardaway Jr. can survive without the crossover, though. He has managed so far to become one of the brightest stars in the area, and he recently committed to the University of Michigan, the school that actually was the first to recruit him.

He had interest in playing for his hometown UM team, but said the Hurricanes never came calling. And schools like FIU and Florida were too late to the party to draw serious interest.

His dad and high school coach figure Hardaway's skills would probably translate anywhere.

``I don't even think he has reached the ceiling yet,'' Brown said. ``I think he's going to be a big-time player at the next level.''

And possibly the level after that?

``I definitely see the [NBA] potential in him,'' Hardaway said. ``But he's got a long way to go and a lot of work to do.''

Hardaway Jr. can do that now, partially because his dad isn't creating unnecessary stress anymore. Even with endless resources at his disposal, the 17-year-old with state championship aspirations still turns to one source most often. Not an NBA superstar like Wade, though he could if he wanted to. Not classic films of Magic and Bird, though he could if he wanted to.

He turns to his dad. Because he wants to.

``I've got him right there --just 20 steps away from my room,'' Hardaway Jr. said. ``That's all I need.''

Join the discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

     Showing: Oldest first Newest first Most-recommended first Least-recommended first

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.repliedToText@

@Nyx.replyAnswerText@

Reply to this Comment @Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@