Tim Hardaway Sr. plans to keep his No. 10 jersey with the Heat retired, safely in the rafters in Miami, even if his son asks to borrow it.
The Heat agreed to a contract with unrestricted free agent Tim Hardaway Jr., who previously wore those digits with Denver, Dallas and Atlanta.
“My legacy is my legacy, and 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,” Tim Hardaway Sr. said in a radio interview with WQAM 104.3 in Miami.
The Heat retired Hardaway Sr.’s No. 10 in 2009. The Hall of Fame point guard played five-plus seasons (1996-2001) in Miami and was an All-NBA selection three of those campaigns.
Hardaway Jr. was blocked from wearing the already-retired No. 10 jersey in stints with Detroit (Dennis Rodman) and New York (Clyde Frazier).
The Heat are rebuilding their roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was acquired in a deal from the Bucks that will become official next week. Antetokounmpo’s preferred jersey No. 34 is available in Miami, where 32 (Shaquille O’Neal) and 33 (Alonzo Mourning) are off the books.
Hardaway Jr., 34, agreed to a one-year deal worth $6.5 million, according to multiple reports.
The Heat also retired numbers worn by Chris Bosh (1), Dwyane Wade (3), Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino (13), NBA great Michael Jordan (23) and Udonis Haslem (40).
