Heat president Pat Riley and coach Erik Spoelstra pose with Giannis Antetokounmpo at his introductory press conference.
When Pat Riley assumed control of the Miami Heat basketball operations, he pledged never to embrace rebuilding and always to seek a superstar. Three decades later, he remains true to his word.
His third, and perhaps final, game-changing import might be the trickiest. Giannis Antetokounmpo follows Shaquille O’Neal (2004) and LeBron James (2010) to Miami and, as much as those Kia MVPs did, brings a heightened sense of hope and aspiration, all while arriving with a singular purpose.
The circumstances surrounding Antetokounmpo’s arrival are different from Miami’s previous two experiences, though. This process becomes a joint effort if the Heat wants to achieve the same result: a chance to win another championship.
Antetokounmpo believes he didn’t leave his winning years back in Milwaukee, and he’s bringing the same standards to Miami, which he reiterated Thursday at his introduction.
“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.”
“One of my goals is to win a lot of championships,” Antetokounmpo said. “I think this is the best route for me to do that.”
He’s also encouraged by the chance to tag-team with fellow big man Bam Adebayo, especially after spending his final season with the Bucks without an All-Star teammate. That duo promises to be tough at both rims, and enough to make the Heat a championship contender.
“Giannis wants to win. Coach wants to win. Our fan base wants to win. And that’s our plan,” Riley made clear Thursday. “We’re going to go for it.”
Antetokounmpo, 31, remains a top-five player in the league and is still going downhill at the rim without brakes. Since 2018-19, the first of his back-to-back Kia MVPs, he finished top-four in the voting every year except last season (and that’s likely only because he missed 47 games).
That’s where it gets interesting with Antetokounmpo. It’s all about his health and availability from here. Antetokounmpo has played 70 or more games only once since 2021-22, when the league returned to its 82-game schedule following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019-20. Last season was especially frustrating from that standpoint, as issues with his calf, groin and knee conspired to keep him in street clothes.
Whether he thrives in Miami will start and end with that. Will the injuries, mainly caused by the speed at which he plays, continue to pile up? Or was the recent past just a temporary setback and Antetokounmpo’s dependability never becomes a major issue in the near future?
At least Miami is putting itself in position to reap the obvious benefits of Antetokounmpo should he stay healthy. Before last season, Antetokounmpo had averaged at least 30 points per game in each of the past three seasons. He’s a reliable rebounder (9.9 rpg in his career) and elite defender, especially at the basket (he was Kia Defensive Player of the Year in 2018-19).
In short, his presence is undeniable.
Miami knows superstars well
On July 14, 2004, the Lakers sent Shaquille O’Neal to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant and a future first-round pick.
And how many franchises have had the luxury of luring three players with now a combined seven MVPs, eight Finals MVPs and nine championships?
This Miami superstar experience started with O’Neal, the first to change the trajectory of the franchise. Until then, Miami was a respectable 50-game winner with Alonzo Mourning but couldn’t beat Michael Jordan — no shame, because nobody could then — and others in the East. A momentary stumble put the Heat in position to take Dwyane Wade in the same draft as James, giving Miami a young future star, as it turned out.
O’Neal was at first the Heat’s 300-pound heavy, bringing championship experience, larger-than-life celebrity and diesel fuel. A breakup with Kobe Bryant and a demand for a $100 million extension — rare back then — forced a trade from the Lakers. Suddenly, Miami was all-in.
The fun with O’Neal lasted 3 1/2 seasons and was a beast initially, narrowly losing the MVP in 2004-05 to Steve Nash while helping Miami win an Eastern Conference-best 59 games. The next season, the Heat won the championship, but along the way, and especially during the 2006 NBA Finals, a transition happened — this was Wade’s team.
O’Neal began to fade, physically and impactfully, and rather rapidly. He was 32 when he arrived in Miami, a year younger than Antetokounmpo, and by 34 his knees and fitness level were problematic. He averaged just 13 points in the 2006 NBA Finals, was carried by Wade the following season, and shipped to Phoenix by the middle of the 2007-08 season.
But that championship made it all worthwhile.
And that goes twice for James. For all of the seismic activity that followed “The Decision”, his move to Miami was a certified smash for the franchise.
And, though some might not want to admit it, for the league as well. By teaming James with Wade and Chris Bosh, the “Big Three” in Miami grabbed the attention of casual basketball fans and ratings soared. Because this happened right at the start of the social media explosion, the product became a more valuable commodity, grabbed a growing demographic and ultimately led to billion-dollar media contracts.
LeBron James and the Miami Heat finally reach their ultimate goal with two straight NBA titles.
It also coincided with the best stretch of LeBron’s career, which says plenty. He won two of his four Kia MVPs, went to the Finals each of his four seasons and twice won titles. The LeBron experience wasn’t “not one, not two, not three” but a hard act to follow, if not impossible, regardless.
Outlook for Heat in Antetokounmpo era?
Because of the new cap rules and salary-cap aprons put in place since then, the challenge for Miami in the Antetokounmpo era is prickly. With the “Big Three,” the Heat managed to supplement the roster with multiple players willing to accept less money — the Ray Allens, Shane Battiers, etc., but that was then.
It’s now a chore to have two All-Stars, let alone three, in this new cap era. For the time being, Antetokounmpo must settle for Adebayo until further notice, all while getting older and dealing with the issues that come with age.
Despite all that, the Heat with Antetokounmpo are better positioned now than last season.
They were starved for outside shooting, a paramount need with a pair of so-so shooters in Antetokounmpo and Adebayo, until the recent signing of Tim Hardaway Jr., who should see a fair amount of open looks — the 34-year-old shot 40.7% on 3-pointers last season with Denver.
Bobby Portis Jr., who came with Antetokounmpo from the Bucks, provides another layer of paint presence and is a double-double threat at times.
Andrew Wiggins was a key re-signing as he remains a respectable perimeter defender who posted 15.4 ppg last season. That’s decent enough for a player who doesn’t demand or command a heavy amount of shots.
Then it’s about the young players — Pelle Larsson, Nikola Jović, Davion Mitchell specifically — and whether they can develop into better rotational pieces.
Finally, Miami might be able to add a cheap veteran to its mix. Someone such as former All-Stars DeMar DeRozan or Bradley Beal, both of whom can still get buckets at this advanced stage of their careers. Or former Kia MVP Russell Westbrook, if Miami feels it needs more experience, depth and stability at point guard. All of the players above have already amassed their millions, and none have won an NBA title.
Or maybe James comes aboard? Miami can offer him $6 million to return and start a new journey with Antetokounmpo and Adebayo. Now that would be quite the development.
The first task was adding a superstar. Miami just did that. The tough part is over. Or maybe it’s just beginning?
Just as it was when Shaquille O’Neal blew into town and when LeBron James brought his talents to South Beach, the Heat with Giannis Antetokounmpo will be well worth watching, one way or another.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at spowell@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.
