Despite His Father Mastering the League, Luka Doncic’s Teammate Reveals To Have Looked Up To LeBron James’ Friend Who “Lived Around The Corner”

Every young player entering the league grows up watching his/her favorite stars’ games on TV, day in and day out. While most players have the common names (Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, etc.) that influenced them the most, sometimes surprising names also come to the fore. Similarly, Luka Doncic’s teammate looked for inspiration outside his family despite his own father’s rich NBA legacy. Moreover, the Dallas Mavericks player looked up to one of Lakers superstar LeBron James’ closest allies.

The NBA has given rise to several father-son duos over the years. One of them is the iconic Hardaway duo. NBA Hall of Famer Tim Hardaway played 13 long seasons in the league, majorly representing the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat. Despite his father’s legacy, Tim Hardaway Jr. looked up to another Heat legend while growing up. 

LeBron James’ former teammate inspired the Hall of Famer’s son

In a recent podcast episode of Get Outta Pocket, Mavs star Tim Hardaway Jr. opened up about his days growing up in Miami and discussed several other topics. In one segment, Hardaway had to reveal the player who he grew up watching since his father retired early. He immediately responded, naming the Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade. He said, “My favorite player, Dwyane Wade, was my favorite player growing up.” The Mavs’ player later listed out the reasons why he liked Wade. 

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D-Wade entered the league at a time when Miami was desperately looking for stars. Moreover, he lived in the same neighborhood as the Mavs’ star. He further said, “He lived around the corner for a while I was growing up, so it was awesome.” He also added that Wade became his favorite player ever since he met him for the first time.

The 31-year-old player later went to discuss an array of topics related to his dad, playing alongside Luka Doncic and many more. 

Dwyane Wade acknowledges Hardaway Jr. on court

After a summer-long contemplation, Dwyane Wade announced his retirement from the NBA with a YouTube video titled ‘One Last Dance’ in 2018. Wade’s announcement left the NBA world in shock, including Hardaway Jr. However, he found his solace when he exchanged jerseys with his idol after a game in January 2019.

Moreover, Wade was recently announced as an inductee in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2023. Wade will be a part of a stacked Hall of Fame class, similar to his draft class. The 2003 draft class included future superstars such as his best friend LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, and more.

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What do you make of Tim Hardaway Jr.’s inspiration growing up to be an NBA player? Let us know in the comments below.