TIM HARDAWAY VS. NMSU
Tim Hardaway gets the best of us
All-America Tim Hardaway was one of the best basketball players in history.
Tim played at UTEP (University of Texas El Paso) under legendary Hall of Fame head coach Don Haskins, and for over 70 years UTEP and NMSU (New Mexico State University) have battled for regional and national superiority. It’s a huge rivalry.
In 1989, UTEP had 3 eventual NBA players and we at NMSU had 2 (Randy Brown and Reggie Jordan).
During this particular game, we hosted UTEP on our campus and played them at our PanAm CENTER (Sold Out 13,000). The game that night went right down to the wire and we lost in the dying seconds. Needless to say, the next day, our NMSU coaches wanted to have a word:
Head Coach Neil McCarthy begins…
“Fellas line up on the baseline… pause… I don’t think we’re going to have our normal practice today. I think we need to RUN a little to get us refocused.
“Guys, do you know that Tim played and controlled the entire game last night. Also, did you know that Tim hardly scored any points during the entire game? He is a lousy free-throw shooter, YET in the last 10 minutes of the game he singlehandedly dissected our entire team – he scored every shot he took and made every single free-throw – leading all scorers, I think, in the end.” (Still pacing)
“Fellas, I’ve coached Division 1 NCAA basketball for 30 years. I’ve seen a lot of players. Tim is an NBA point guard. Don’t look shocked. Tim is not only an NBA point guard but he is actually an NBA ALL-STAR point guard. (We are standing on the basketball court’s baseline thinking (“What the?”). Yep, In fact, I will EVEN go so far as to tell you guys that TIM HARDAWAY may become one of GREATEST NBA players of ALL TIME.” (Still pacing)
What happened last night was very upsetting… pause… upsetting in SO many ways. And, you know what truthfully upsets me the most? It’s NOT that the entire student body knows that that little weasel Tim Hardaway came in here and kicked your ass. IT’S NOT that every one of the 13,000 fans that were here last night know that little rat Tim Hardaway kicked your ass; NOR is it even that you guys know the runt Tiny Tim, Tim Hardaway kicked your ass. IT’s not EVEN that Coach Don Haskens, the entire UTEP basketball team, or even that our entire beloved state of New Mexico know that the little weasel fundamentally kicked your ass last night. NO!!! NO, WHAT reaaaaaaally and truly BUGS ME MORE THAN ANYTHING is the TIM HARDAWAY (The @#$%) himself knows that he came here, into our gym, and systematically KICKED YOUR ASS.”
We ran for a very long time.
Tim eventually was drafted in the 1st round of the NBA Draft, NBA All Rookie Team, Gold Sydney Olympic Games etc.
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