Hall of Famer Tim Hardaway opens up on famed player/coach Don Nelson spreading rumors about him before the '89 NBA Draft (Credits: IMAGN)
After an impressive collegiate career with UTEP, Tim Hardaway was selected as the 14th pick of the 1989 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. At that time, the team was coached by none other than Don Nelson, a five-time NBA Champion as a player and the then two-time Coach of the Year (1983, 1985).
Nelson saw talent in Hardaway, who was named a First-team All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) player in his final year of college and the WAC Player of the Year. Nelson spread rumors about Hardaway to ensure that no other NBA team drafted him before the Warriors.
On Saturday, Tim Hardaway joined Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on the All The Smoke podcast and was asked about the rumors. The rumors turned out to be true, as Nelson told teams Hardaway's knees were bad so he would slide to No. 14 in the draft.
