Hardaway Jr. played both football and basketball during his freshman year at Palmer Trinity School in Palmetto Bay, Florida. As a sophomore, he transferred to Miami Palmetto High School and turned his focus solely to basketball, which at times strained his relationship with his father.

During his sophomore season, Hardaway was a Third-Team All-City selection. He made First-Team as both a junior and season but didn’t receive a lot of attention nationally until the summer before his senior season. As a senior, Hardaway averaged 31.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and four assists per game. However, he remained under the radar and was given three stars by most recruiting services.

Michigan coach John Beilein recruited Hardaway longer than almost any other college coach. Hardaway chose the Wolverines and became an immediate starter, joining Darius Morris in the team’s backcourt. As a freshman, Hardaway averaged 13.9 points per game. The next season, Hardaway teamed up with freshman Trey Burke to form the new Michigan backcourt. Together, they helped lead the Wolverines to a share of the Big Ten title before getting upset by Ohio in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

As a junior, Hardaway averaged 14.5 points per game, just under the 14.6 points he averaged as a sophomore. He also set career-highs with 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists that season, once again teaming up with Burke, as well as a freshman class that included Glen Robinson III, Mitch McGary, Nik Stauskas and Spike Albrecht. Hardaway was the second-leading scorer on a Michigan team that went 31-8, ultimately losing to Louisville in the national championship game.

Hardaway declared for the NBA Draft after his junior season and was selected 24th overall by the New York Knicks. With Trey Burke also going pro and becoming a first-round pick, they were the first pair of Michigan teammates to be drafted in the first round of the same draft since Jalen Rose and Juwan Howard in 1994.

As a rookie, Hardaway started just one game for the Knicks. However, he played in 81 games, averaging 10.2 points per game. It was enough to earn a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Team and finish fifth in Rookie of the Year voting. Despite missing time late in the season with a wrist injury, Hardaway played 70 games, including 30 starts, during his second pro season, averaging 11.5 points per game.

In June 2015, the Knicks traded Hardaway to the Atlanta Hawks for Jerian Grant, another NBA legacy. Hardaway battled for playing time during his first season with the Hawks, even spending time in the D-League. However, he carved a more prominent role during the 2016-17 season, starting 30 games and averaging 14.5 points per game.

As a free agent during the summer of 2017, Hardaway signed a four-year, $71 million offer sheet with the Knicks. When the Hawks declined to match it, Hardaway returned to New York and immediately became a starter. During the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, Hardaway became a productive player for the Knicks, averaging 19.1 points per game over the first 46 games of the 2018-19 season. However, in January 2019, Hardaway was part of a seven-team trade that sent him, Trey Burke, Kristaps Porziņģis, and Courtney Lee to the Dallas Mavericks.