On eve of opener, Giannis Antetokounmpo ‘excited to get this journey started’ with Heat

Miami Heat admin October 20, 2026 0 Comments

On eve of opener, Giannis Antetokounmpo ‘excited to get this journey started’ with Heat

After making the first move of his NBA career this summer, two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is ready to play his first real game in a Miami Heat uniform.

“I feel good. I feel good, I feel comfortable,” Antetokounmpo said following Tuesday’s practice on the eve of the Heat’s regular-season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday at Kaseya Center (7:30 p.m., ESPN). “Everything. Teammates, team, system, weather, city, fans, I feel good.”

For Antetokounmpo, these last few weeks of training camp, preseason practices and preseason games have been about adjusting to a new environment after spending the first 13 seasons of his NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks. He’s happy with the progress that was made since the Heat began training camp on Sept. 29.

“I think our chemistry is where it should be,” said Antetokounmpo, who was traded to the Heat in July. “Our approach is incredible. I think we’ve worked extremely hard these 22 days that we’ve been in training camp. We’ve gotten together as a team. We’ve done a lot of activities off the court as a team. Not only do we spend time here, we spend time out of here.

“So I think our mind-set is exactly where it should be. Obviously, we’re going to get better. This is Game 1. In Game 40, we’re going to be a better team as long as everybody is healthy and everybody is available. So we just got to keep on taking it one step at a time. But the first step, which was training camp, we attacked that step very, very well. I’m proud of myself. I’m proud of the team. Hopefully, we can go out there and show it.”

Antetokounmpo is coming off a dominant preseason, averaging 15.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game while shooting 73.1% from the field in three exhibition appearances.

Antetokounmpo’s last performance of the preseason was his best, finishing just one assist shy of a triple-double with 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field, 0-of-2 shooting on threes and 4-of-9 shooting from the foul line, 15 rebounds, nine assists, one steal and three blocks in a preseason-high 24 minutes in last Wednesday’s exhibition win against the Brooklyn Nets. The Heat outscored the Nets by 15 points with Antetokounmpo on the court.

Antetokounmpo got to his spots at will, with 16 of his 19 makes this preseason coming from inside the paint. He also shot 10 of 12 (83.3%) at the rim this preseason.

“I feel good,” Antetokounmpo, 31, continued. “I’m excited. I’m excited to play basketball, play some real basketball. I’m excited to feel the energy in the arena, and I’m just excited to get this journey started.”

Most importantly, Antetokounmpo feels healthy ahead of his first season with the Heat after playing in a career-low low 36 games with the Bucks last season due in large part to multiple calf strains. Antetokounmpo then sustained a hyperextended left knee and bone bruise on March 15 that cut his season short last season.

“My mind-set, being free, playing with joy, and my health,” Antetokounmpo said of what he prioritized this offseason.

This revamped Heat roster will be tested right away, with its first two games coming against quality opponents.

Wednesday’s opener is against a new-look Timberwolves team led by Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball. The Timberwolves have advanced to the Western Conference finals in two of the last three seasons.

The Heat’s second game comes against the Detroit Pistons on Friday in Miami. The Pistons closed last regular season as the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 playoff seed after posting a 60-22 record.

“I feel like we’re ready,” Antetokounmpo said. “Obviously, great teams. … But I feel as a team that our mindset, our approach is where it should be, and I think we’re ready.”

With the addition of Antetokounmpo comes higher expectations for a Heat team that has needed to take part in the NBA’s play-in tournament in each of the last four seasons. Miami missed the playoffs last season for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

“I feel like I’ve had noise my whole career. It’s nothing new for me,” Antetokounmpo said of the outside expectations surrounding the Heat. “Maybe it might be new for some players on the team, but we can’t win a championship in training camp. We can’t win a championship in Game 1. I wish we could play one game and win a championship, but we can’t.

“Obviously, I understand the first impression is everything. But I don’t know if that applies in basketball. It’s 82 games. You can win the first game by 30 and lose 10 in a row. So I’m happy that I’m here. I think the team is excited for what’s coming. Everybody is locked in. Everybody is focused. So the outside noise does not seep in our locker room or our facility.”