Denver Nuggets Veteran Gets Candid About Pistons Experience

Tim Hardaway Jr’s run with the Detroit Pistons has come and gone.

It might’ve been a short stint for the veteran sharpshooter, but one year with the Pistons generated a lot of positive impact on Hardaway. The veteran spoke about his time in Detroit last month and had nothing but great things to say about his experience with the Pistons.

“A lot of guys bash the city of Detroit as far as like, going to play there and the fans. People don’t know Detroit unless you actually play in Detroit,” Hardaway said on ‘The Young Man and the Three.’

“Those fans and those people there, they have that grit, they have that tenacity, they have that fire inside of them that instills in all of their sports. Being able to feed off them, and going out there, and to embrace that energy, and put it out there on the floor, I really do feel like that’s what propelled us and helped us overcome what those guys experienced.”

Tim Hardaway Jr on what it’s like playing in Detroit

“People don't know Detroit unless you actually play in Detroit you know Those fans and those people there. They have that grit they have that tenacity they have that fire inside them that instills in all their you know their… pic.twitter.com/7wS1kwPa8e
— Pistons Talk (@Pistons__Talk) July 10, 2025

Before Hardaway got to Detroit, the Pistons were viewed as one of the worst teams in the NBA. It was hard to argue that fact, considering Detroit had just 14 wins during the 2023-2024 NBA season.

A lot of changes happened after that dreadful year. A new head coach, a revamped front office, and some key veteran additions helped the Pistons begin to turn things around.

Hardaway was an offseason acquisition for the Pistons last summer. Coming off a championship run with the Dallas Mavericks, Hardaway was traded to the Pistons. He wrapped up a six-year stretch with the Mavs and became an instant starter in Detroit.

With the Pistons, Hardaway appeared in 77 games, averaging 28 minutes per outing. He would average 11 points and knock down 37 percent of his threes.

Apr 27, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (8) slam dunks the ball at the end of the third quarter of game four of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

For the first time since 2019, the Pistons made the playoffs in 2025. Facing one of Hardaway’s former squads, the New York Knicks, the veteran averaged 12 points while struggling with his shooting. The Pistons dropped out of the playoffs in six games.

Considering everything they went through before the addition of veterans such as Hardaway, Tobias Harris, and Malik Beasley, the 2024-2025 run for the Pistons was still a feel-good story. Hardaway won’t be a part of the next chapter, but he’s confident it will be a good one.

“It was awesome just to be a part of that culture, organization, and just being able to turn things around over there,” Hardaway added. “I wish I was able to keep it going, but for the most part, they got it figured it out.”

Hardaway hit the free agency market this summer. He signed with the Denver Nuggets on a reported one-year deal. He was one of several veteran free agents to part ways with the team after just one season.

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