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Tim Hardaway Jr. grew up in Miami, where his father is simply a legend.
After spending his first six-and-a-half seasons with the Golden State Warriors, the Heat acquired Tim Hardaway Sr. in a trade, and he became one of the franchise’s all-time greats.
Now, Junior will follow in his father’s footsteps, agreeing to a $6.5 million deal to join the Heat and be one of the shooters around the soon-to-be formally acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo.
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Miami Heat’s Tim Hardaway drives to the basket on the New York Knicks’ Charlie Ward in the first quarter of the fourth game of their first round play-off series at Madison Square Garden. (Stan Honda/Getty Images)
Hardaway’s No. 10 was retired by the Heat in 2009, and to keep it in the family, his son has worn the number in three of his five NBA stops.
The Heat are his sixth, but son must still listen to his dad, and No. 10 is off limits.
“My legacy is my legacy. Even though he likes to wear No. 10, that is not coming down from the rafters,” Tim Hardaway Sr. said on WQAM radio in Miami. “That is tough to do. And when it’s up there, you want (it) to stay up there, and you don’t want nobody to touch it.
“I love him. I love him. I’m happy for him… Watching him play through college and the NBA, he’d been to three places I’d never been: the Final Four, a championship, and now, he’s going to his hometown team. I never done that, and so, I’m happy that he’s doing it.
Tim Hardaway Jr. of the Detroit Pistons speaks to Tim Hardaway Sr. before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks during the Emirates NBA Cup game on Dec. 3, 2024 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. (Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images))
“But no, he can’t wear No. 10.”
The elder Hardaway finished fourth and sixth in the MVP vote and was named to the All-NBA First Team and two All-NBA Second Teams during his tenure. The franchise won its fourth title four years after he left with the help of Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal.
Hardaway Jr. has previously worn plenty of other numbers in his other stops like No. 5 and No. 3, but those are unavailable thanks to current Heat player Nikola Jovic and Wade, respectively. No. 11, which he wore with the Dallas Mavericks, is also taken by Jaime Jacquez Jr.
Tin Hardaway Sr. and Tim Hardaway Jr. of the Dallas Mavericks chats prior to the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of 2023 NBA Global Games Abu Dhabi at Etihad Arena on Oct. 5, 2023 in Abu Dhabi, The United Arab Emirates. (Brian Choi/NBAE via Getty Images)
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So, he may have to fork over something to Trevor Keels, who played eight games with the Heat wearing No. 8.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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