After a bitter split with the Miami Heat, Jimmy Butler needed a fresh start. It came as a new chapter in San Francisco with a new team and a new jersey number. He chose 10. But questions soon popped up: why was that number so special to Jimmy? Well, it was a tribute to his close friend and soccer icon, Neymar Jr.– a testament to their bond. The number is a symbol of greatness in soccer, donned by legends. But what Jimmy didn’t expect was the drama that would follow. Turns out, the number isn’t just significant in the soccer world. It has its own legendary history in the NBA as well. One particular Warriors legend, who had once worn the number, shared how he felt about it.

The discussion came up on the Gil’s Arena show, where they welcomed a special guest, Tim Hardaway Sr. When it was highlighted to him that Jimmy, after choosing the number, shared a post about the greats who had worn it, including Hardaway, he reacted to it.

“It’s fine with me,” the former Warrior said. “I have gripes with the Warriors not putting it up in the rafters… that’s what I have gripes with. I mean, the number is there for him to wear. If I mean, I can’t stop him from wearing number 10.”

Clearly, he wasn’t annoyed with the 35-year-old choosing it. Instead, his annoyance was directed at the franchise for not having retired his number already. What the 6-footer didn’t get during his stint with the Warriors, he got with the Heat as they retired his number.

Hardaway then rightfully boasted, “He just wanted to wear a great number, a Hall of Fame number.” And further pointed out, “I’m going to tell you this, the number has been worn before by David Lee, and he won the championship in that number. So, let’s look at that. You know, don’t look at me and say, I wore a number, I’m Hall of Famer. David Lee won a championship in that number.” He “no question,” believed that Golden State should retire it.

While Tim Hardaway might say that he doesn’t have a problem with Jimmy Butler choosing the number, but only with the Warriors, that might be a little hard to swallow. After all, he recently lashed out at the veteran forward for his behavior with the Heat.

Jimmy Butler tagged as “crybaby” for toxic behavior in Miami

The Jimmy Butler-Pat Riley saga is well known by now. It all began last offseason when the Heat’s President was forced to tell Jimmy, “Keep your mouth shut,” after he admitted that if he hadn’t been sidelined with an injury, the Heat would have eliminated the Celtics in the playoffs. That wasn’t it. Tensions also grew when Riley refused to offer Jimmy a maximum extension, causing Jimmy to express his unhappiness with the team in an interview. This led to a seven-game suspension, and when Butler returned, he was suspended for two more games after being late for a team flight.

Things escalated again when Jimmy heard the team wasn’t keeping him on the roster. He walked out of practice, which resulted in an indefinite suspension. Now, as a friend to Riley, Hardaway couldn’t help but defend him and his former franchise that gave him the respect he deserved.

During his appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, he said, “I didn’t agree with what he (Jimmy) was doing. You’re under contract. You’re a baby, you know, you’re a crybaby because they said no to you. We used to get said no to us all the time and we used to know how to take it. It is what it is. It’s a question. You get a yes or no. You might not like the question, but you can’t deviate and mess up the team.”

Hardaway also emphasized that if Jimmy had played more games, then the Heat wouldn’t have had to rely on the play-in games. He also criticized how the situation with Jimmy was handled, especially when Butler disrespected coach Erik Spoelstra. “When he went after Spoelstra, told Spoelstra he’d kick his b— at a time out… That should have been like, yo, you get three to five games (suspension). You don’t talk to the coach like that. You don’t disrespect the coach like that,” Hardaway added.

However, that chapter had ended for the good of both the Heat and Jimmy. Now, he’s in a new phase of his career and wouldn’t want to repeat the past, as he feels he’s finally in a happy space again. His sole focus is on winning the championship, a goal he’s already working toward. And at this point, a flashback to the past is the last thing the 6-time All-Star would want.