Tim Hardaway Jr. is headed to Miami, the city where his father built a lasting NBA legacy, after agreeing to a one-year, $6.5 million deal with the Heat.
The veteran sharpshooter, who averaged 13.5 points and shot 40.7 percent from three-point range last season with the Denver Nuggets, adds floor spacing and experience to a revamped roster featuring stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
However, Hardaway Jr. will not don the No. 10 jersey he has worn for much of his career as a tribute to his father. Tim Hardaway Sr., whose No. 10 was retired by the Heat in 2009, made it clear the number will remain in the rafters.
“My legacy is my legacy,” the Hall of Famer told WQAM radio in Miami. “Even though he likes to wear No. 10, that is not coming down from the rafters.”
Hardaway Sr. enjoyed a standout tenure with the Heat from 1996 to 2001, earning All-Star nods and helping elevate the franchise into a contender alongside Alonzo Mourning. He averaged 17.3 points and 7.8 assists per game in Miami and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.
While thrilled for his son to play for his former team, the elder Hardaway emphasized the importance of preserving his own accomplishments.
“I love him. I’m happy for him. I’m living a life, you know. Again, 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. But no, he can’t wear No. 10,” Hardaway Sr. added, via The Athletic.
Hardaway Jr. is expected to wear No. 11 with the Heat. The father-son duo remains one of only two NBA pairs with at least 10,000 career points and 1,000 threes each, joining Stephen and Dell Curry.
