15 best Michigan basketball NBA careers in Wolverines history
By Joey Loose
11. Tim Hardaway Jr.
The son of a former NBA All-Star, Tim Hardaway Jr. has had himself quite the basketball career as well. He was born in California while his father played with the Warriors but starred at the high school level in Miami, Florida.
He opted for Michigan for his collegiate career, starring for the Wolverines between 2010 and 2013. Hardaway averaged right around 14 points per game in each of his three years at Michigan while also helping lead the program to the national title game as a junior.
Skipping his final year of eligibility, Hardaway jumped to the NBA and was selected with the 24th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks. Hardaway was an All-Rookie selection with the Knicks and has since spent time with the Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks.
He’s become a consistent threat, averaging at least 14 points per game in each of the last seven seasons, and has really carved out his role in the Mavericks’ backcourt in recent years.
Among Wolverines who have made the NBA, Hardaway ranks 3rd among them in 3-pointers made and sits on the brink of 10,000 career points.
Hardaway has never exactly been a superstar in the NBA but has been a consistent scorer over the last decade since he was drafted. Few other Michigan studs have turned their collegiate success into a long-term pro career like this and Hardaway is following nicely in his father’s footsteps.