MIAMI (AP) — Tim Hardaway Jr. would always follow the same routine in his 15 visits to Miami as an opponent. Walk into the arena, take a look into the rafters, gaze at one specific banner.
“Hardaway 10” sways, commemorating his father’s time with the Heat and the jersey they retired in Tim Hardaway Sr.’s honor.
“Coming here when I was an opponent, I felt like it gave me a superpower,” Hardaway Jr. said.
It’s his jersey now.
The Heat formally introduced part of the family on Wednesday, with the 34-year-old Hardaway getting his welcome-back-to-Miami news conference — and getting handed a No. 10 Heat jersey, only this one with “Jr.” after the family surname on the back.
“This is really bizarre,” said Heat President Pat Riley, who coached the elder Hardaway in Miami.
The younger Hardaway used to run around the Heat practice floor as a kid while his dad played games, or hang out in the family room partaking in video games. As Hardaway Jr. got older, Riley would ask someone on the staff to put him through workouts on the practice court.
That staffer was Erik Spoelstra, now the Heat head coach.
“I think things are going to be a little bit more serious now than before,” Hardaway said. “But I mean, I’m very comfortable and confident to be able to go up there and talk to coach anytime I need some guidance or assistance on anything. I feel like he’s a great person in order to do that.”
Miami entered the offseason with a slew of wishes and needs. It wanted a superstar; it landed one by getting Giannis Antetokounmpo (and, like the rest of the league, is waiting to hear where former Heat star LeBron James wants to play this coming season). It also wanted to find shooting and durability; Hardaway is coming off a season where he had career-bests in 3-pointers made (224) and 3-point percentage (nearly 41%), and he’s played in 236 of a possible 246 regular-season games over the last three seasons.
His role in Miami, whether as a starter or off the bench, will be simple: Make life easier for Antetokounmpo and Heat center Bam Adebayo.
“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, it’s just to make their life easy and that’s to knock down shots.”
And he gets to come home to do all that. Born and raised in Miami, the Heat will be his sixth NBA team — in the city he still calls home.
“I’ve been praying for this day,” Hardaway said. “I’ve always wanted this day to come, ever since I was a kid.”
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