Tim Hardaway Jr. will not be wearing his father's retired No. 10 jersey as he joins the Miami Heat, according to NBA Hall of Famer Tim Hardaway Sr. The elder Hardaway, a legend with the Heat franchise, stated that his retired number is "off limits" for his son.
Hardaway Jr. agreed to a $6.5 million deal with the Heat, returning him to the city where his father established his NBA career. The Heat acquired Tim Hardaway Sr. in a trade during his playing days, and he became one of the franchise's all-time greats. His No. 10 was officially retired by the team in 2009.
"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."
While Hardaway Sr. expressed happiness for his son's career milestones, including playing for his hometown team, he was firm on the jersey number.
Hardaway Jr. has previously worn No. 10 in three of his previous NBA stops. However, other numbers he has used, such as No. 5 and No. 3, are also unavailable due to being worn by current Heat players Nikola Jovic and Dwyane Wade, respectively. His former number with the Dallas Mavericks, No. 11, is currently worn by Jaime Jaquez Jr. Hardaway Jr. may need to consider other options, potentially including No. 8, which was worn by Trevor Keels during his brief tenure with the Heat.