Confidence is a fragile thing in the NBA. It can disappear after a few rough shooting nights and take weeks to fully return. For the Denver Nuggets' Tim Hardaway Jr., the antidote has always been rooted in something deeper than just making shots. It comes from who he grew up watching and the voice that's still a phone call away.
Hardaway has leaned on his relationship with his father, Tim Hardaway Sr., throughout his career. Having an NBA veteran in his corner who has lived through the same ups and downs of professional basketball gives him a perspective most players don't have access to. When the shots aren't falling, he knows exactly where to turn.
"Just being able to have someone a phone call away, it really truly helps," Hardaway said. "Being in the league for so long, I kind of got the answers to the test being so young and watching my pops play."
Coming off two difficult games, Hardaway spoke with a clarity and calm that suggested a player who has been through enough to know the storm always passes. The work he and his teammates have put in is the foundation he returns to when his individual performance dips.
Mar 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) attempts a shot in the fourth quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn ImagesHardaway Says Preparation Fuels His Confidence
One of the harder things for any role player to internalize is that the ball is coming back to them regardless of how the last few games went. The NBA doesn't let you hide for long. Hardaway seems to genuinely embrace that reality rather than fear it.
"When I'm having games like the previous two before this one, I know how much work everybody puts in the offseason to be in the position that we are in," he said. "You have to be ready in those moments."
There's a maturity in that mindset. He's not making excuses for a couple of cold outings or deflecting to circumstance. He's pointing back to preparation as the reason to stay confident and stay ready. For a Nuggets team with championship aspirations, having veterans who carry themselves this way matters more than any box score.
Nuggets Need Hardaway Locked In
Denver is navigating a stretch of the season where every game carries real weight in the standings. Hardaway is not the centerpiece of what they do offensively, but his ability to knock down shots and space the floor is a meaningful piece of what makes the Nuggets' offense function at its best.
A confident Hardaway is a different player than a hesitant one. The history is there to back that up. When he's trusting his preparation and not overthinking his role, he makes winning basketball plays and forces defenses to account for him on every possession.
His honesty about working through the rough patches says a lot about where his head is. The Nuggets will need him ready when the biggest moments come.