When everyone thinks LeBron’s the helicopter NBA dad, Tim Hardaway Sr. enters the chat. He couldn’t have chosen a better moment, either. In an All-Star Weekend when LeBron James’ participation is unconfirmed and no Bronny, it’s been an early Father’s Day all around. Jason Richardson’s son is in the Dunk Contest. Ron Harper & Sons stole the spotlight after the Shooting Stars event. Yet Tim Hardaway Sr. is salty at Adam Silver and the league office over a missed opportunity.

The All-Star Weekend theme could’ve been the NBA Dads if Tim Hardaway Jr. got to compete with his dad on the sidelines. Unlike his 5x NBA All-Star dad, the young Hardaway has never made All-Star. Despite the stellar season he’s having with the Nuggets right now.

Apart from not getting enough votes to qualify for the main event, he didn’t receive invites to any contest, especially the 3-Point Contest. So excuse the upset dad.

Tim Hardaway Sr. publicly shamed the league for snubbing his son. “It’s a shame that ya’ll didn’t invite him to the 3-Point Contest. Ya’ll did not invite him,” Hardaway Sr. said during a post-All-Star event. “It doesn’t matter [if Jr. was interested in joining the lineup]. Ya’ll did not invite him. Yeah, I just tell the truth. My son is the Sixth-Man of the Year award. My son is the 6MOTY!”

Hardaway Jr. is the dark horse of the Sixth Man race for carrying the shorthanded Denver through a painstaking stretch. Only last week, he surpassed Jason Kidd and moved up the all-time 3-points made list to #19.

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The contest credentials were there. And the exceptions as well.

Tim Hardaway Jr. missed the All-Star family affair

The Hall of Famer’s outburst came after the 3-Point Contest featured a star-studded roster that included veteran Damian Lillard. Dame made history with his third title without playing a single game this season. The invitational events of the All-Star Weekend appear to be flexible regarding player participation.

The final round came down to Lillard, Devin Booker and rookie standout Kon Knueppel. Dame ended up tying Larry Bird and Craig Hodges with a third title.

While he doesn’t speak about the other participants, for the elder Hardaway, the exclusion of the league’s most consistent bench sniper was a slight that couldn’t go unaddressed. Hardaway Sr.’s frustration stems from the career-best season his son is currently putting together with the Denver Nuggets.

Unlike the Run TMC icon’s killer crossover, Tim Jr.’s style has been his deep shooting. That helped the Detroit Pistons end a five-year playoff drought in 2025. Since the trade to Denver, Hardaway Jr. has evolved into an elite marksman.

He is currently averaging 14.1 points per game while shooting a blistering 40.9 percent from beyond the arc. His value was most evident in January 2026, when Nikola Jokic was sidelined for a month with an injury.

The 2026 All-Star Weekend was a family affair for many, including Ron Harper Sr. and Jason Richardson. Harper Sr and his sons, Ron Jr. and Dylan, were in the Shooting Stars contest too. Which makes the Hardaway father-and-son snub feel even more personal.

For now, the upset dad will have to settle for a potential 6MOTY award and maybe even a championship ring in Denver. And if that happens, you know who will not let the league soon forget the name they left off the list.