​Recounting his 15 visits to Miami as an opponent, Tim Hardaway Jr. always followed the same ritual. He would walk into the arena, glance up at the rafters, and fix his eyes on a particular banner that fluttered in the arena breeze. The banner bearing “Hardaway 10” paid tribute to his father, Tim Hardaway Sr., and the Heat jersey that had been retired in his honor. “Coming here when I was an opponent, I felt like it gave me a superpower,” Hardaway Jr. said. Now that banner belongs to him in a way, because it is his own jersey that graces the arena—this time with the “Jr.” appended to the family name on the back.
On Wednesday, the Heat formally welcomed part of the Hardaway family back to Miami. The 34-year-old Hardaway held his welcome-back-to-Miami news conference and received a No. 10 Heat jersey that now reads “Jr.” on the back. “This is really bizarre,” Heat President Pat Riley, who coached the elder Hardaway in Miami, noted.
As a youngster, Hardaway Jr. used to dart around the Heat practice floor while his father played games, or lounge in the family room while the two tangled in video games. As the younger Hardaway grew older, Riley would have a member of the staff arrange for him to join workouts on the practice court. The assistant who made that happen was Erik Spoelstra, who is now the Heat’s head coach.
“I think things are going to be a little bit more serious now than before,” Hardaway said, “but I’m very comfortable and confident to be able to go up there and talk to coach anytime I need guidance or assistance on anything. I feel like he’s a great person to go to.”
Miami’s offseason priorities were clear: acquire a superstar, add shooting and durability, and shore up the roster. In acquiring Hardaway, the Heat added a player who had enjoyed career bests in 3-pointers (224) and 3-point percentage (nearly 41%) in the previous season, and who has appeared in 236 of 246 possible regular-season games over the last three years. His role, whether as a starter or veteran off the bench, is straightforward: make life easier for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo by providing spacing and reliable shooting.
“Once the call came, I think it was kind of a no-brainer,” Hardaway said. “It’s the right fit, not only for this franchise, but for me personally—especially when you have two guys out there that definitely need spacing for them to go out there and operate and do what they do best. My job here is simply to make their life easy and to knock down shots.” And now, he will do it back home in Miami, in the city he has always called home.
Born and raised in Miami, Hardaway will be playing for his sixth NBA team in the city he still views as home. “I’ve been praying for this day,” he said. “I’ve always wanted this day to come, ever since I was a kid.”