The HoneyDew with Ryan Sickler

Episode 362: Tim Hardaway Had to Ban Dad from High School Basketball Games

Date: December 1, 2025
Guest: Tim Hardaway

Episode Overview

This episode of The HoneyDew features NBA legend Tim Hardaway, who joins Ryan Sickler for a deep, honest conversation about adversity, personal growth, regret, and the forces that shape a person’s life. True to the show’s style, they highlight the lowlights—Hardaway opens up about his upbringing in Chicago, his struggle with his father's alcoholism, his own public mistakes and redemption regarding homophobic comments, and the relationships and mindsets that made him who he is. There's plenty of laughter, insight, and Hardaway’s signature candor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Promoting the Book & the Tim Hardaway Story (02:20)

• Hardaway introduces his new book, Killer Crossover: From the Streets of Chicago to Basketball Royalty.
• Describes the book as a must read for fans and for parents coaching kids:
  “If you want to know what made me and why I was that guy on that court and my upbringing and the Chicago background... you need to read this book.” [02:26]

2. Coaching, Parenting, and Loud Positivity (03:35–09:51)

• Ryan shares a story about a loud, positive youth basketball coach, and how parents sometimes misinterpret volume for aggression.
• Tim relates:
  “Loud to everybody. He didn’t care who was listening... but he understood that you needed to hear him, and he wanted you to hear him... Very positive.” [05:48]
• The conversation explores positive vs. negative coaching and problematic parent behavior at youth sports, with Hardaway warning about the harm of aggressive parents.

3. Parental Pressure & Self-Awareness in Youth Sports (07:15–09:51)

• Tim shares a story about his own experience witnessing a destructive, overbearing parent at practice, emphasizing the emotional harm done to the child: “His kid is gonna be at school fighting every day... and it’s gonna be because of you.” [09:08]

4. Respect for Coaches & Learning to Be Coached (09:53–14:41)

• Hardaway recalls formative coaches from grammar school to the NBA, noting their honesty and consistency.
• On the importance of listening as a player:
  “As a player, you gotta know what a coach wants out there, but you also gotta do your own thing while you’re out there, because you out there playing...” [12:53]

5. Public Homophobia, Regret, and Redemption (15:10–28:49)

• Tim unpacks his infamous homophobic remarks made in response to John Amaechi’s coming out, his upbringing influencing those beliefs, and the pain he caused: “I said something very, very bad. I said something that has stuck with me since that time and it’s going to stick with me. And I understand that ... the only way I could deal with it is talk about it and make people understand that you can change.” [16:40]
• He credits his children and family for helping him realize his mistake:
  “When you come home, you see your kids’ face... They was looking at me, ‘Dad, you know, we got friends that are gay... do you know what you did?’” [19:48]
• Hardaway describes attempting to make reparations, getting counseling, and working with the YES Institute in Miami. He details the profound impact of helping LGBTQ+ youth, including talking a suicidal child “out of suicidal” [25:02], and how that experience changed him.
• On what it feels like to unwittingly encourage hate:
  “What I said, it made it for people to go out there and continue to harm folks because you co-signed, right? ... When I truly found that out, I was like, oh no, no, I don't want that.” [34:28]

6. Upbringing: South Side of Chicago, Alcoholism & Domestic Violence (37:32–44:44)

• Hardaway gives a raw look at his childhood, watching his father, a playground legend, struggle with alcoholism and domestic violence.
• On having to ban his dad from games:
  “I had to literally have him not coming to my games in high school... unless you stop drinking, you can’t come to my games anymore.” [39:22]
  • Shares the fear in addressing his father and his surprise that his dad accepted it and later got sober for decades.
• On confronting his father years later:
  “It's still hard for me to forgive you... what you did was tough. And, you know, I still remember a lot of things I'm saying.” [41:10]

7. Avoiding Gangs & The Complexity of Chicago Street Life (47:22–51:27)

• Hardaway remained separate from gang life despite close proximity, describing the culture, structure, and risks involved. “The way we grew up, you had to know where you was at, at what territory you was at, how to wear your hat. I stopped wearing hats.” [48:51]

8. Basketball as Escape & Growth (51:27–56:39)

• Hardaway recalls wrestling with dreams of college before NBA stardom was ever real.
• Tells a gripping Michael Jordan story:
  “Guy was like, ‘MJ is coming tonight’... and I had a bet I had to score within four points of Michael. ... He had 64, I had 60.” [53:12–61:25]
• On Jordan’s endorsement:
  “He looked at me, he said, ‘You got a chance.’ ... That window was up, that door opened up just an inch. I kicked that fucker in.” [55:00]

9. ‘Welcome to the League’ Moments (57:21–61:20)

• Shares candid “welcome to the NBA” moments, from being pranked as a rookie to being torched by Kevin Johnson, fueling him to improve.
• On internalizing advice:
  “Listening is a skill. It's not an art. It's a skill. People need to—young people need to—listen... That’s why they didn’t make it... They didn’t listen.” [55:59–56:39]

10. Advice for Young People & The Importance of Listening (62:24–63:07)

• Hardaway’s advice to his 16-year-old self and today’s youth:
  “Listen, listen, listen and understand.” [62:24]
  “If you listen and understand and be quiet, everything will be, you know, all right.” [62:38]

Notable Quotes & Standout Moments

• On the Impact of Public Mistakes:
  “The only way I could deal with it is talk about it and make people understand that you can change… I wanted to help.” [16:40, 19:22]

• On Family Support After a Public Scandal:
  “You fucked up, but we still behind you... we know that you’re going to turn this around because we know you.” [20:40]

• On Realizing His Potential:
  “MJ said, ‘you got a chance’... If I got a chance, I’m in.” [55:00]

• On Growing Up Around Violence:
  “Alcoholism is a disease... You have to hit rock bottom before you can start controlling it.” [38:33]

• On Lessons for the Next Generation:
  “If you listen and understand and be quiet, everything will be... all right.” [62:38]

Important Timestamps

• Book Promotion & Introduction – 02:20–03:08
• Coaching and Loudness in Youth Sports – 03:35–09:51
• Tim’s Change on Homophobia & YES Institute Work – 15:10–28:49
• Childhood, Family Alcoholism, and Domestic Violence – 37:32–44:44
• Michael Jordan Story & Pro-Am Game – 52:23–55:55, 61:20–61:25
• Advice to Youth: Listening – 62:24–63:07

Tone & Style

The episode is honest, candid, sometimes raw, often humorous, and ultimately redemptive—anchored in Sickler’s warm, direct style and Hardaway’s unmistakable Chicago straight talk. There’s a deep sense of reflection and humility, paired with irrepressible competitive spirit and care for community.

Conclusion

This episode showcases Tim Hardaway’s willingness to own his past, confront his failings, and work for change—with himself, his community, and for youth. He merges tales of NBA glory with confessions of personal struggle, delivering heartfelt advice and hope, demonstrating the power of listening, the value of second chances, and the importance of lifting others up.

“Killer Crossover: From the Streets of Chicago to Basketball Royalty” by Tim Hardaway is out now everywhere.

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