By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Giannis Antetokounmpo is settling into his new environment at the Miami Heat.
“It’s everything that I expected and more. I’m having fun,” he said Wednesday at the end of the Heat’s second day of training camp. “The guys are competing. The guys are playing the right way. The guys are together.”
After thirteen years in Wisconsin, moving to Florida brings a completely different pressure.
“The Milwaukee Bucks organization had a great history. Great players played before me. But here, it’s a whole different story. They won a lot of championships. All-time great players, from D-Wade, LeBron, Chris Bosh. Alonzo Mourning, Shaq. You go down the line,” he said about being part of a different team.
Stepping into a culture with this much lineage is a unique test for the superstar. He is focused on the immediate bond rather than the duration of his stay.
“I just want to leave my mark. I want to know when this chapter is over, if I’m only here for a year, two, or whatever it’s going to be, I want to leave my mark. I wanna know I have a great relationship with my coaching staff, my teammates, with the fans,” he added.
However, the real test comes when he walks back into Fiserv Forum. His wife, Mariah, already warned him that the reunion will bring up heavy emotions.
“It’s just another game for me. I get paid to play the game. I get paid to get better and be ready. But she’s like, ‘That’s what you always say. You’re going to try to brush it off like it’s another game. But you’re going to be emotional. You came out as this hard, blah, blah, blah, but deep down I know it’s gonna be an emotional game for you, and we’re gonna be there for you’. Obviously, I think going back in a different uniform and going through the hallway and seeing the familiar faces,” he mentioned.
“It’s going to be difficult,” continued the former NBA champion with the Bucks in 2021. “We are big boys, we wear big pants, we make decisions, and we gotta live by our decisions. I’m a guy that leaves no regret. When I get there, I’m gonna try to put on a show and try to get a win for my team.”
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