Things seem to be coming full circle for Tim Hardaway Sr., as his son, Tim Hardaway Jr., signed a one-year, $6.5 million deal with the Miami Heat in free agency. Having carved out his legacy with the Heat, Hardaway Sr. has every reason to take pride in seeing his son don the Heat jersey. However, the Hall of Famer has some conditions in place.
Tim Hardaway Sr. is a bona fide Heat legend. In six seasons with the Heat, Hardaway Sr. asserted himself as a star, earning two All-Star selections and even finishing in the top 10 in MVP voting in consecutive seasons. Needless to say, this was enough for Miami to hang the No. 10 jersey from the rafters.
Now, with Tim Hardaway Jr. joining Miami, Hardaway Sr. has a unique opportunity to allow his son to wear his iconic No. 10 jersey. Sadly, while speaking on “The Hochman, Crowder & Solana Show,” the five-time All-Star had his reservations. When reacting to the possibility, he claimed:
“You love your kids unconditionally, you know. My legacy is my legacy. He’s doing it his way. Even though he likes to wear 10, he loves to wear 10, but that is not coming down from the rafters.”
“That is tough to do. Once it’s up there, you want it to stay up there. You don’t want nobody to touch it,” he continued. “I love him, you know. I love him to death. I’m the happiest for him. I’m living the life watching him play through college and in the NBA… So I’m happy that he’s doing it. But no, he can’t wear No. 10.”
Having one’s jersey retired is one of the greatest honors a player can receive from a franchise. While the more storied franchises have retired several numbers, a team like the Miami Heat, which was formed in 1988, is still adding to its legacy.
As a franchise legend, Tim Hardaway Sr.’s desire to still see his jersey hang from the rafters is completely justified. But it is also worth noting that this did not diminish the pride he felt in knowing his son would be representing his former team.
When asked whether he would get emotional after seeing his son in a Heat jersey, Tim Hardaway Sr. responded:
“It’s not going to really resonate until I’m right there in the stands. Then I might be a little emotional, might see a tear in my eye, but you’ll definitely see me grinning. You’ll definitely see my chest poked out, and you’ll definitely see a pep in my step when I walk because I’m so happy for him because he wanted this for a long time.”
Tim Hardaway Jr.’s addition is among the first signings the Miami Heat have made since acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis from the Milwaukee Bucks.
With the Heat gearing up to make a title push this season, adding a veteran guard like Hardaway Jr., who averaged 13.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game, and finished third in 6MOY voting, seems like a great move. But according to Tim Hardaway Sr., the Heat still have more left in the chamber.
“Everything is not done yet. They are still working on a couple of other pieces. Hopefully, they get them, but this is going to be something special,” Hardaway Sr. shared.
Although the Hall of Famer isn’t directly involved with Miami’s day-to-day operations, the update could prove intriguing.
Given the sheer number of assets the Heat had to part with to acquire Antetokounmpo and Portis, they will need to fill out the remainder of their roster. While their current cap situation suggests they would only be able to sign players on minimum deals, now that LeBron James has emerged as a target in free agency, Miami could embrace a more aggressive approach.
