News that former basketball star Tim Hardaway is mired in tax trouble, causing the Miami Heat to apparently bail him out by purchasing his mansion, came as a bit of a surprise. After all, he made an estimated $47 million during his playing career, and still works a suit-and-tie job with the Heat. Where did all that income go? Did he blow it all on strippers, ala Rumeal Robinson? Were those strippers employed at Chippendale's, and he's just a big closeted horndog?
We're still holding out hope that that's the case, but it seems more likely that Hardaway blew millions on plain ol' terrible business projects. And keeping a felon as a partner. Oh, and that whole "I hate gay people" rant certainly wasn't good for enterprise either.
Here's a cemetery of sorts, courtesy of public records: The 15 businesses Hardaway has filed papers for in Florida, and their mostly-brief life spans as active corporations.
Pro Super Stars, Inc.; 1998-2001
All Star Investment Group, Inc.;1998-2001
HC Consulting, LLC; 2001-2004
House of Wings, Inc.; 2002-2007
We called it the "Michelangelo of chicken appendages". Shows what we know: The place went belly-up soon after.
Advanced Motion Group, LLC; 2004-2005
US 1 Finest Hand Car Wash & Service, Inc.; 2004-2007
Hardaway founded this car wash in 2004 with longtime friend Cory Mason. "He uses toothbrushes and Q-tips to clean the a/c vents on Missy Elliott's lime green Lamborghini," the Miami Herald wrote of the shop's in-house detailer. "He massages leather conditioner on the seats of Hardaway's fleet, which includes two Mercedes, a Ferrari, Lexus LX 470 and Ford Expedition."
But in early 2007, Hardaway made his infamous homophobic comments during a radio interview. In the fallout, he removed his name from the car wash's signage and the shop was evicted from the location. In December of that year, business partner Mason was arrested for credit card fraud: He had been charging former customers for car washes and detailing even after the business was closed. He was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison. Hardaway was never charged with involvement in the scheme.
595 Finest Hand Car Wash Inc.; 2005-2006
One might imagine this would be where 50 Cent would get his Bugatti swabbed with a pencil eraser, if it had ever opened.
The Finest New York Style Pizza, Inc.; 2005-2006
Also a Cory Mason co-production. Also never opened.
US 1 Holdings; 2005-2007
Stabilizair, LLC; 2007-2010
It's kind of fun to imagine what this company was.
Crossover Sports Solutions, LLC; 2008-2009
Tim Hardaway Foundation; 2008-
Hardaway's non-profit for children might be the only one of his operations turning a profit: In 2009, its first full year of operation, it raised $60,364 but only spent $21,134.
Eagle Investment Group of South Florida, LLC.; April 2010-
Because why would anybody not want to invest with this guy?
Role Models International, Inc.; August 2010-
