MIAMI (AP) — While watching Lionel Messi compete in the World Cup semifinals this week, Giannis Antetokounmpo found himself inspired. To him, Messi represents true greatness — and it’s a path he intends to follow.
On Thursday, Antetokounmpo received his official welcome at the Heat’s arena, with fans chanting his name as he stepped onto his new home court for the first time following a tour of the city.
“I need pressure at this time of my career,” Antetokounmpo said. “I think in order for me to go to the next level, I’ve got to get out of my comfort zone — and I feel like Miami was the place for me to be.”
Messi joined Inter Miami three years ago and went on to add MLS MVP awards and another championship to his already impressive legacy. Now Antetokounmpo has made a similar move to Miami, hoping his transition brings the same kind of success.
“That’s the blueprint,” Antetokounmpo said. “LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, they set the blueprint and you just got to follow, right? It’s hard. You have to be disciplined. You have to be dedicated to your craft, but it’s there. And if you want to follow, you follow. If you don’t want to follow, then you go home.”
He chose not to go home. Instead, he has a new one.
The formal introduction came a couple of weeks after Miami completed the trade that brought the two-time MVP to South Florida, along with Bobby Portis Jr., from the Milwaukee Bucks. In return, Miami sent Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakučionis, and draft capital to Milwaukee.
For the Heat organization, the acquisition is the latest in a long line of high-profile moves made since Pat Riley took over as team president in 1995.
“I think this is just part of who the Heat are in the pursuit of excellence,” Riley said. “But you don’t win championships unless you have greatness on the court and on the bench. … I’m just so excited for this challenge.”
Since entering the NBA in 2013, Antetokounmpo has accumulated 21,531 points, 8,882 rebounds, and 4,484 assists. His point and rebound totals rank fifth best in the league over that span, while his assist total ranks 13th. Those numbers are a big part of why the Heat view him as still one of the top five players in the game today.
Beyond the statistics, Antetokounmpo has been a consistent nightmare for opposing defenses. No player has drawn more fouls over those 13 seasons — a fact that thrilled Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra.
“A little while ago Pat called me into his office and he looked at me,” Spoelstra recalled. “He said, ‘Do you want to coach Giannis?’”
Spoelstra’s answer was immediate: “Yes.”
He then stepped out and waited while Riley, Heat general manager Andy Elisburg, and the rest of the front office worked to finalize a deal. When Antetokounmpo showed up early Thursday morning for his first workout as a member of the Heat, Spoelstra was already there to greet him.
“I just want to be coached hard,” Antetokounmpo said. “I’d rather you tell me the ugly truth than a beautiful lie. … I’m excited to be coached by him.”
In Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo finished as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer by a wide margin — more than 7,000 points ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s total during his time with the Bucks. He also holds the team’s all-time records in rebounds and assists and ranks second on the franchise’s career steals list.
He enjoyed tremendous success in Milwaukee, but he’s chasing more in Miami. That winning-focused mentality is also what drew Bobby Portis Jr. to the Heat.
“The conversations I have with Giannis have always been about winning. ‘Where can we go to win? How can we impact winning? How can you get another ‘chip? That’s always been the talk,’” Portis said at his own introductory news conference earlier Thursday. “It hasn’t been about anything else but winning. … All he cares about is winning.”
By every indication, the Giannis-in-Miami era is off to a promising start. Antetokounmpo was thrilled by the reception he and his wife received when their plane touched down in Miami — right after watching Messi and Argentina defeat England in Atlanta on Wednesday. He says he already loves the Miami weather, describing it simply as “warmer than Milwaukee,” though he’s made clear he has no interest in the city’s resident iguanas: “Those guys, stay away from me,” he said.
Riley told him the Heat are focused on winning at the highest level — and that was exactly what Antetokounmpo needed to hear. He has one championship ring. He wants more.
“You’ve got to work,” Antetokounmpo said. “They show you, they show you the way. It’s not hard. Just listen and open your eyes. It’s something that I wanted. I was able to accomplish it once in my career. Hopefully, it will happen a second time.”
