MIAMI — The subject first was discussed about four years ago, around the Hardaway dinner table.
Tim Jr., well into his NBA career, asked dad, Tim Sr., what he thought about him wearing his number 10, if he ever played for the Miami Heat.
Number 10 is retired in Miami and hanging in the rafters of the Heat's home in downtown Miami.
"I was like, 'No!' " Tim Sr. said recently from his home in Michigan. "We were laughing and we never knew this would happen."
Well, it did in July. Tim Jr. signed a one-year contract to play in the same arena where his Hall of Fame dad provided so many memories, and where he used to pass the ball to Heat coaches during pregame warmups.
Tim
Sr.'s first reaction after the signing was that No. 10 would not be put back into circulation. Not for his son. Not for anybody.
Then he had second thoughts.
"Jumped the gun a little bit because I was excited," Tim Sr. said. "I should have waited. People started calling me and I just started talking."
Tim Sr. now admits "there was no question he was going to wear the number, it's his number, too." Junior wore No. 10 at Miami Palmetto High School and the University of Michigan.
And as far as the 34-year-old Tim Jr. is concerned, the topic is closed.
"It was definitely a family decision," he said before adding, "could we please stop asking that question?"
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has flashbacks when Tim Hardaway Jr. speaks
Erik Spoelstra sometimes has to do a double take, and it has nothing to do with watching 6-foot-11Giannis Antetokounmpo's spinning into the lane and using his massive strides to get to the basket and finish with a thunderous dunk.
No. It's the voice that gives his flashbacks to the days when he was a young Heat video coordinator doubling as an assistant coach.
"What's really, really surreal is if you're not looking and you hear Timmy talk, you think it's his dad," Spoelstra said. "He raises his voice and he's saying something. You do a double take. They sound exactly the same."
That's not the only similarity. Although their shooting styles are very different, mostly because at 6-5 Tim Jr. is five inches taller than his dad, Spoelstra sees a trait he saw 30 years ago on the court inside the pink building located in Overtown known as the Miami Arena.
"A competitive spirit," he said. "Timmy's got an edge to him, which is unique for a shooter. He's vocal, he's edgy, he gets passionate about competition."
And who can forget Tim Sr., the heart and soul, along with Alonzo Mourning, of Pat Riley's first six Heat teams. He was called upon so many times to take the pressure shot and delivering, willing his team to so many victories, and, yes, antagonizing the New York Knicks.
In fact, Tim Jr.'s fondest moments of his dad's career is sitting by the team bench for those physical, white-knuckle Heat-Knicks games that, in the playoffs especially, were intense from tipoff to buzzer.
In 24 postseason games between the teams from 1997-2000, the winning team scored in triple digits one time, a 101-90 Heat victory in Game 7 of the 1997 conference semifinals.
"Just seeing him compete against those guys was great to watch," Tim Jr. said.
And he always knew when the Knicks were in town. "The night before and the day of at home, there wasn't a lot of talking. It was all business, it was all seriousness," Tim Jr. said. "I think that's when I really fell in love with it."
When asked what his dad instilled to make him a tougher competitor, Tim Jr. did not hesitate.
"Having complete confidence in myself," he said.
Nobody played with more confidence and bravado than Tim Hardaway Sr.
Tim Hardaway Jr. has played 13 years in NBA, same as dad
Tim Sr., who turned 60 in September, was looking at his son's stats recently and noticed two things: Tim Jr. now has played as many years in the NBA as pops (13) and how similar their numbers are.
"I thought it was like his seventh, eighth, ninth year," Tim Sr. said. "He said, 'No, Dad, this is my 13th year.' I was like, 'What? Damn.' "
Aside from assists, where Tim Sr. has a decided edge, 7,095 to 1,594, the rest are relatively close. Tim Sr. has the advantage in average points per game (17.7 to 13.7) and shooting percentage (.431 to .419); Tim Jr. in 3-point percentage (.365 to .355).
Tim Jr. has played 26 more regular-season games. Tim Sr. two more postseason games. Tim Sr. averaged one more steal and a half rebound more per game.
"I love my father. He's awesome. He was exciting to watch," Tim Jr. said. "I'm excited to live on this legacy that everybody's preaching about and ready to get the ball rolling."
Then, there are 3-pointers made: Tim Jr. 2,068; Tim Sr. 1,542.
"It's a different game," said Tim Sr., who owns the Heat franchise record of 3-point field goals with 806.
It is why Tim Jr. was acquired, to spread the floor with big men Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo down low. The Heat then added even more shooting when they acquiredKlay Thompson.
Tim Sr. said the Heat are getting a player in his son who has grown in so many ways, including his confidence, understanding the game, attention to details and leadership.
Tim Hardaway Jr. honored to play under banner that honors his father
Tim Hardaway Sr. describes himself as a proud father. Once he recovers from knee replacement surgery, scheduled for Oct. 9, he will be in Miami as much as possible to watch his son.
"This was something that he wanted for a long time," Tim Sr. said. "Tim is going to play in the city where he grew up ... he calls home. To play for your hometown is just the ultimate feeling."
Play in your hometown and for the franchise that also is the site of some of his dad's greatest moments.
Now, when Tim Hardaway Jr. is playing under the banner that honors his father, the uniform will be the same.
"It's an honor, it's a privilege, it gives me the utmost confidence, even when I was on the opposing team, to step into this arena and play under that jersey," said Tim Jr., who has played six years in Dallas, four with the Knicks, two in Atlanta and a year each in Denver and Detroit.
"Just being a part of this now and representing to the best of my ability is all that he asks for. And that's what I'm giving."
Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Tim Hardaway Jr. brings his father's legacy, and number 10, to Heat
