Devin Booker recently made headlines by changing his jersey number from No. 1 to No. 15 to honor his father, Melvin Booker. After joining the Miami Heat, Tim Hardaway Jr. had the perfect opportunity to continue the tradition of wearing his father’s iconic number, where he is a legend. However, despite the emotional homecoming, Tim Hardaway Sr. has already put an end to that plan.

“That would be (a beautiful moment), but I’m not (going to unretire the jersey),” said Hardaway Sr. on WQAM radio on Thursday. “You love your kids unconditionally, and my legacy is my legacy, and he’s doing it his way. Even though he likes to wear 10, that is not coming down from the rafters. That is tough to do. And when it’s up there, you want to stay up there, and you don’t want nobody to touch it.

I love him to death. I’m happy for him. Watching him play, through college and the NBA. You know, he’s been to three places. I’ve never been in the final four or a championship. Now he’s going to his hometown team. I’ve never done that. And so I’m happy that he’s doing it, but now he can’t even wear 10.”

For most of his basketball career, Tim Hardaway Jr. has worn No. 10. It was the number he sported in college and throughout multiple stops in the NBA, making it a fitting tribute to his father. But after signing a one-year, $6.5 million deal with the Heat, the younger Hardaway won’t be able to wear the number that has become synonymous with both his family and Miami basketball.

Tim Hardaway Sr. sees his retired jersey as a symbol of everything he accomplished in Miami, one that should remain untouched even by family. After arriving in Miami in 1996, he helped transform the franchise into an Eastern Conference contender. During his five seasons with the Heat from 1996 to 2001, Hardaway earned two All-Star selections with Miami while also being named to the All-NBA First Team in 1997 and the All-NBA Second Team in both 1998 and 1999.

Following his trade to the Dallas Mavericks in 2001, no Heat player ever wore No. 10 again. The franchise officially retired the jersey in October 2009, cementing Hardaway’s place among Miami’s all-time greats.

Tim Hardaway Sr reveals Miami came calling before for his son

Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time the possibility came up. Hardaway Sr. revealed that the family had already discussed the idea years before Tim Hardaway Jr. actually landed in Miami.

“I want to tell you this. Five years ago, six years ago, we were trying to get to Miami, and it never happened,” recalled Tim Hardaway Sr. “But it never happened because of trade reasons and all that type of stuff, but it never happened. And he asked me that, I said, ‘Let me think about it.’ And I thought about it, and man, my wife was like, ‘No, no.’ You know, we thought about it for 24 hours. And it’s like, ‘No.'”

Long before Tim Hardaway Jr.’s free-agency move became a reality, the family had a discussion. His father, Hardaway Sr took some time to process, but ultimately said no. That’s why his stance on whether No. 10 should be made available again remains firm.