NBA Hall of Famer refusing to let son wear his retired number after joining former team

Tim Hardaway Jr. grew up successful Miami, wherever his begetter is simply a legend.

After spending his archetypal six-and-a-half seasons with the Golden State Warriors, the Heat acquired Tim Hardaway Sr. successful a trade, and helium became 1 of the franchise's all-time greats.

Now, the inferior volition travel successful his father's footsteps, agreeing to a $6.5 cardinal woody to articulation the Heat and beryllium 1 of the shooters astir the soon-to-be formally acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo.

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Miami Heat's Tim Hardaway drives to the handbasket connected the New York Knicks' Charlie Ward successful the archetypal 4th of the 4th crippled of their first-round playoff bid astatine Madison Square Garden. (Stan Honda/Getty Images)

Hardaway's No. 10 was retired by the Heat successful 2009, and to support it successful the family, his lad has worn the fig successful 3 of his 5 NBA stops.

The Heat are his sixth, but the lad indispensable inactive perceive to his dad, and No. 10 is disconnected limits.

"My bequest is my legacy. Even though helium likes to deterioration No. 10, that is not coming down from the rafters," Tim Hardaway Sr. said connected WQAM vigor successful Miami. "That is pugnacious to do. And erstwhile it’s up there, you privation (it) to enactment up there, and you don’t privation cipher to interaction it.

"I emotion him. I emotion him. I’m blessed for him... Watching him play done assemblage and the NBA, he’d been to 3 places I’d ne'er been: the Final Four, a championship, and now, he’s going to his hometown team. I ne'er done that, and so, I’m blessed that he’s doing it.

Tim Hardaway Jr. of the Detroit Pistons speaks to Tim Hardaway Sr. earlier the crippled against the Milwaukee Bucks during the Emirates NBA Cup crippled connected Dec. 3, 2024 astatine Little Caesars Arena successful Detroit, Michigan. (Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images)

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"But no, helium can’t deterioration No. 10."

The elder Hardaway finished 4th and sixth successful the MVP ballot and was named to the All-NBA First Team and 2 All-NBA Second Teams during his tenure. The franchise won its 4th rubric 4 years aft helium near with the assistance of Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal.

Hardaway Jr. has antecedently worn plentifulness of different numbers successful his different stops, similar No. 5 and No. 3, but those are unavailable acknowledgment to existent Heat subordinate Nikola Jovic and Wade, respectively. No. 11, which helium wore with the Dallas Mavericks, is besides taken by Jaime Jacquez Jr.

Tim Hardaway Sr. and Tim Hardaway Jr. of the Dallas Mavericks chat anterior to the crippled against the Minnesota Timberwolves arsenic portion of the 2023 NBA Global Games Abu Dhabi astatine Etihad Arena connected Oct. 5, 2023, successful Abu Dhabi, The United Arab Emirates. (Brian Choi/NBAE via Getty Images)

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So, helium whitethorn person to fork implicit thing to Trevor Keels, who played 8 games with the Heat wearing No. 8.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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