The Mental Toughness that Earned Tim Frazier Damian Lillard’s Respect and an NBA Contract
A former opponent remembers thinking that he had Penn State beat in the NCAA Tournament, only for Tim Frazier to go off for 40-plus points and move his squad on to the next round in the bracket. That’s the way the fiery point guard has been surprising people since he was told he was too small to play contact sports as a child. And once his stellar play got him a shot at playing in the NBA, it was time for Tim to prove everyone wrong again and stake his claim in the league.
Tim’s journey to the league began many years before as a hyper-competitive kid. Growing up in an athletic family, young Tim always felt overshadowed by his older sister, and that drove him to develop his own skills.
“The story of me knocking over my sister’s trophies came from her being such a great athlete in basketball, cheerleading, and tennis,” Tim said. “We had a TV stand with all her trophies on top, and I’d ball up three or four socks and bounce them off the wall like I was shooting. Sometimes I might have aimed a bit too high to knock her stuff down.”
Little Guy with a Giant’s Heart
The same drive shone through on the basketball court, where Tim’s speed, natural feel for the point guard position, and innate leadership inspired his teammates. These qualities also captivated college coaches, and Tim soon started getting offers to big time programs. He eventually chose to play at Penn State.
“That little man syndrome is real,” Tim said. “I loved to go up against big and tough guys. I’d even back them down. I’ve been undersized my entire life, and I was only 145 pounds when I showed up at Penn.”
What he lacked in height and weight, Tim made up for in smarts, passion for the game, and an ability to show his squad the way when things got tough, particularly during late-game adversity. One of the things that helped him grow was being so far from his family’s home in Texas.
“There was no mom or dad, friends, or high school coaches,” Tim said. “I was there by myself, and it made me attack my responsibilities and grow up as a man. We made it to the NCAA Tournament, and I played well. When our seniors left, the weight was on my shoulders, and I was able to perform at a high level going against guys like Draymond Green. I realized, ‘I can hang with these guys’ and that helped me flip the switch.”
A New Coach and a Different Challenge
After his coach left the team, the man who took over, Patrick Chambers, went to visit Tim during the college offseason at his home in Houston. He talked about how he had developed Kyle Lowry and convinced Tim that he could help him finish his college career strong and get to the league. “That gave me a big boost and made me make first team All-Big Ten,” Tim said.
But as well as his junior year went, trouble was looming. Early in his senior season, Tim tore his Achilles. Feeling despondent and lost, Tim turned to someone who had always been a rock for his family.
“When the doctor checked the MRI and told me I’d torn the Achilles, I broke down and cried. My mom said, ‘Stop crying. There are so many things you can still do. This is not something that’s going to stop you.’ I still had the pain and the tears, but that was day one of my recovery. I used her words to motivate myself every day, and by sitting out, I saw the game from my coach’s perspective. Now I had the brains to see what was really going on. At the end of the day, I had this injury, but I had God on my side and a great support system.”
Though Tim didn’t get drafted, he was invited to several workouts, including one with the Philadelphia 76ers. His hard play against Dante Exum made the team double down on its choice to draft future All-Star and MVP Joel Embiid. Next, Tim got a call from the Celtics and went to Boston to participate in another session. He picked the brains of point guard savant and NBA champion Rajon Rondo and saw what it meant to be a true pro.
While playing for a G League team in Maine, the Sixers offered him a 10-day contract. Because they needed him now and his team’s gym was locked, Tim couldn’t even grab his shoes. So he called Avery Bradley, who let him use a pair of Adidas Kobes. The Mamba mentality was with him in his NBA debut, as he racked up 10 assists, a team record for an undrafted rookie.
Dialing in Dame Time
After a few more 10-day contracts, Tim went back to Portland, Maine, where he tore up the G League. Right before the playoffs, his phone went off. It was his agent, telling him to report to the other Portland, where the Trailblazers needed his services for backup depth behind Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. He didn’t wait long to seek out a new mentor.
“I asked Dame if I could follow him around, work out together, and learn from him,” Tim said. “At first, he didn’t know if I could hang, but I worked hard and suddenly we’re spending the whole next summer together, training with Phil Beckner.
Though he was eventually traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, Portland will always be where Tim stepped up to the challenge of the most demanding workout partner in the game and earned his first full NBA contract. In NOLA, he followed his playbook with Dame to earn the respect of another superstar, Anthony Davis, to the extent that Tim was the best man in his wedding. He went on to play for nine seasons in the league, before taking his talents to Greece and France.
“You’ve got to have adversity and then overcome it,” Tim said. “I’m grateful for everything I’ve endured. Like Phil Beckner said, I am a warrior. I’ve been knocked down seven times and got up eight. Nothing’s gonna stop me.”
Hear the rest of Tim’s story on The Basketball Strong Podcast:
Keep up with Tim on Instagram at @timfraz23 and on Twitter @Timfraz23.
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