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Miami Heat: 25 Best Players To Play For The Heat

By Phil Watson

May 9, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; A general view of the Miami Heat logo is seen center court before game four of the second round of the NBA Playoffs between the Toronto Raptors and the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
May 9, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; A general view of the Miami Heat logo is seen center court before game four of the second round of the NBA Playoffs between the Toronto Raptors and the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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NEW YORK, UNITED STATES: Miami Heat guard Tim Hardaway (R) tries to keep the ball away from New York Knicks guard Charlie Ward (L) in the first quarter of the third game of their first round playoff series 12 May, 1999, at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. The series is tied 1-1. (STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES: Miami Heat guard Tim Hardaway (R) tries to keep the ball away from New York Knicks guard Charlie Ward (L) in the first quarter of the third game of their first round playoff series 12 May, 1999, at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. The series is tied 1-1. (STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images) /

player. 110. <strong>How acquired:</strong> Trade, Golden State Warriors, Feb. 22, 1996.. PG. 1996-2001. Tim Hardaway. 5

In a move that wasn’t so much a trade as it was a robbery, the Miami Heat acquired former All-Star Tim Hardaway and Chris Gatling from the Golden State Warriors in February 1996 in exchange for Kevin Willis and Bimbo Coles.

Hardaway, it turned out, still had a lot left in the tank.

MIA_05_HARDAWAY
MIA_05_HARDAWAY /

He was a two-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection for the Heat, finishing fourth in the MVP voting in 1996-97. Hardaway was second in the NBA in 3-pointers in 1998-99, third in 2000-01 and fifth in 1996-97 and 1997-98.

But the Heat weren’t quite able to get over the hump and in August 2001, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for a second-round pick in 2004 and a trade exception.

In parts of six seasons in Miami, Hardaway averaged 17.3 points, 7.8 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 36.2 minutes per game, shooting .410/.356/.801.

He was the 14th overall pick out of UTEP by the Warriors in the 1989 NBA Draft and was an All-Rookie selection in 1989-90, a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA pick for Golden State.

In February 2002, Hardaway was traded to the Denver Nuggets and was waived in June 2002. In March 2003, he signed with the Indiana Pacers, retiring at the end of the 2002-03 season.

Entering his third season as an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons, he is 23rd in NBA history with 1,542 three-pointers, 15th with 7,095 assists, 49th with 1,428 steals and 13th with an average of 8.2 assists per game.

Next: The Diesel Helped Heat Climb The Mountain

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