Hardaway Sr. took Olympic gold in 2000 in Sydney.
As Stephen Curry makes his long overdue first appearance as a player on Team USA basketball in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, let’s take a look back at other players who played on the Olympic stage after spending time in Golden State.
Guys like Tim Hardaway!
Hardaway was drafted by the Golden State Warriors with the 14th overall pick of the first round of the 1989 NBA Draft. He had a 15-year career, playing with the Dubs from ‘89-’96, and had a magical run with teammates Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin in Run TMC.
Speaking of Run TMC, both Richmond and Mullin won gold medals in Olympic play, with Mullin joining the Dream Team in ‘92, and Richmond playing with the ‘96 Dream Team II. That’s why it’s so cool that all thee of these Golden State-drafted players got a chance to take home the highest honor when Hardaway won in 2000 at the Sydney Olympics.
Hardaway had some great comments about how joining his fellow NBA Olympians in Australia was a great bonding experience:
For Hardaway, the off-court experiences that came with the Sydney Olympics were almost as memorable as everything that happened between those white lines.
It was a rare chance to hang out with the other NBA stars that he usually battled on a nightly basis.
“With that team, it was all of us [hanging out],” he said. “We just had fun being together. Gary Payton, Jason Kidd, Vin Baker, Alonzo Mourning, Vince Carter, Allan Houston…everyone. We just had fun hanging out with each other.
“We was even cooking in our hotel rooms together, and you know, Vin Baker almost burned the place down because he wanted to barbecue in there, it was crazy.”
That’s a common thing I’ve noticed about players who play in the Olympics: it’s awesome getting to know their fellow stars on a high-pressure mission representing their country.
