Giannis Antetokounmpo was officially introduced as a member of the Miami Heat today, and it marks the beginning of a whole new chapter of his career. After 13 years with the Bucks, he’s starting on a new path that could pave the way for his greatest success.
For now, though, Giannis is still in a transition phase as he adapts to his new surroundings. In his first public media interview with the team, Giannis explained what lured him to the iconic franchise, and what he expects now that he finally has a chance to experience it for himself.
“You always hear about the Miami Heat culture, and that guys work hard, guys are very disciplined,” said Giannis. “Guys are very driven, and they are selfless and give everything that they can to win games. I was always curious what makes them so unique, and in my career with the Bucks, we tried to recreate that. We tried to create a culture that would come in here, do our job, and it doesn’t matter who shines. All that matters is winning. Everybody leaves their kids behind, their husbands behind, the people that they love behind for the common goal, which is to win. We spend more time with our teammates and with our staff than with our own family. So if we are going to do that, we have to have the same mindset that, at the end of this road, we may have a chance to win the championship.”
The Heat are known for their highly competitive culture, and it’s the same culture Giannis tried, and failed, to instill in the Bucks. Of course, that culture naturally comes with a heightened pressure to win, but Antetokounmpo has already embraced the challenge since his arrival. In fact, he says the pressure is needed at this point of his career.
“When I started playing, the big three was around, I think, in 2010. Prior to that, I didn’t watch NBA basketball, so I didn’t know much,” Giannis added. “But I grew up in that era, so I know the expectations this team has. I love pressure. Coach Spo talked about pressure, and I think I need pressure at this point in my career. In order for me to get to the next level, I have to come out of my comfort zone, and Miami was the place for me to be. We are very like-minded, and it was a no-brainer. I wanted to be here, I’m excited to be here, and I’m ready to get to work.”
It’s no secret that Giannis had been clamoring for a move to Miami for weeks, and it feels like a dream now that he’s finally here. To mark the occasion, Giannis changed his jersey number from 34 to 7, which he later explained was a sign of respect for the Bucks. For Giannis, what he did in Milwaukee will forever remain part of his legacy, and it will always stand apart from whatever happens going forward.
“If you add 3 and 4, it equals 7, and my mom was born April 7th. But the real reason I changed my number is I feel like 34 holds so much weight and has so much history, and out of respect for the organization that drafted me,” Giannis said, “I decided to leave that number there.”
Speaking of the Bucks, Giannis was asked to comment about the end of his time there, but he didn’t have much to say. Rather than use the opportunity to blame them for his failures, he paid them respect as he recalled all the good times he had with the organization.
“Talking about the Bucks, I am in a good place. I have so much respect for them. I hope they have respect for me and for the things that I’ve done within that city,” Giannis said.
In the end, as a 2x MVP, NBA champion, and 10x All-Star, Giannis Antetokounmpo will always stand as one of the greatest Bucks players ever. He ended a 50-year drought for the franchise and consistently carried them to contention for the better part of a decade. So while the breakup this summer was far from clean, Giannis is still widely celebrated by Bucks fans today. Clearly, he also has some level of appreciation for their role in launching his Hall of Fame career.
Regardless of his feelings about the past, Giannis’ focus is solely on helping his new team (the Heat) reach its full potential. With Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins, they have a solid foundation in place already, and the acquisition of LeBron James would only push them further toward the top of the hierarchy. Either way, with Giannis leading the way, the Heat are sure to be a team to fear in the East, and it seems they are set to make the most of his All-Star arrival.