By admin 
NBA legend Tim Hardaway Sr. had to overcome some of life’s toughest adversities before he could finally make it to the league.
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At home, Tim Bug endured physical abuse from his father. Outside, he grew up on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. His neighborhood was controlled by gangs, who even tried to recruit him at one point.
And just when Hardaway finally fulfilled his NBA dream with the Golden State Warriors, another tragedy struck when his maternal grandmother, Minnie E. Eubanks, died in the summer of 1990.
In his book, “Killer Crossover: My Life from the Chicago Streets to Basketball Royalty,” Hardaway recalled how Eubank shaped his life and career and how he carried her memory with him as he built his Hall of Fame resume throughout the 90s.
“That was rough,” he said. “She died too soon.”
Eubanks helped Hardaway cope with his parents’ divorce
Growing up, Hardaway said that there was always fear in the household because of his father, Donald. According to Tim, Donald would beat him up and his brother, especially when he was under the influence of alcohol. His mother, Gwendalyn, was also not spared.
This abuse and alcoholism would ultimately push her to divorce Donald in 1978 when Hardway was still 12 years old and in fifth grade — something that weighed heavily on him and that he still could not comprehend as a child.
“It was like, ‘Man, why are you getting divorced?’” he said via The Sun Sentinel. “You all are supposed to be married forever.”
Fortunately, Eubanks stepped in to provide Hardaway the stability and care he badly needed at the time. As the chaos around him swirled, she not only helped Tim process the separation but also get his life back on track, ultimately allowing him to begin his basketball journey.
“My grandmother was there to help me cope with it…she helped me and my brother endure it. We stayed with her,” Hardaway recalled. “She said to just go on with our lives. She helped me get my mind off it and get my mind back into school.
Although there were still some bumps along the way for Hardway, with him flunking out of eighth grade due to the endless distractions away from the classroom, he followed his advice and kept on moving.
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Tim dedicated his career to Eubanks
Hardaway said that basketball saved his life. That salvation would not have been possible without endless hours of hard work in the gym throughout high school at George Washington Carver Military Academy and in college at UTEP.
In 1990, all of that paid off as the Warriors selected him with the 14th overall pick. The 6’0″ guard averaged 14.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 8.7 assists in his rookie season, proving to be a promising selection for the Warriors.
Then came the summer of that year.
Hardaway had just brought his family on a trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, wanting to give his mother a memorable experience. However, when they went home, the bad news quickly became apparent to Tim Bug, seeing the presence of all his family members. Eubanks had died, and the manner in which it happened stung Hardaway.
“Instantly, I knew something was wrong. She’d drank herself to death,” he recalled. “It was a sad ending to a great life, and so I dedicated the rest of my career to her.”
After her death, Hardaway decided to honor Eubanks by writing her initials, “MEE,” on the side of his shoes in the 1990-1991 season. That year, the guard averaged 22.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 9.7 assists, earning his first All-Star selection.
He went on to receive four more All-Star honors and five All-NBA nods while helping form the Warriors’ iconic “Run TMC” trio that electrified the 90s. Hardaway built a stellar 13-year career – one that he will forever dedicate to Eubanks.
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This story was originally published September 14, 2026 at 3:24 AM.