Giannis Antetokounmpo wants the Heat’s season to start: ‘That’s when I get my dopamine hit’

MIAMI — Oct. 15, 2026 — Giannis Antetokounmpo finished one assist short of a triple-double against Brooklyn on Wednesday night, with 20 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists in 24 minutes of his third preseason game for the Heat. Afterward he said exhibition games are not what he is waiting for.

“It’s preseason. Obviously, I play hard, try to play hard whenever I can. But still, it’s preseason,” Antetokounmpo said after Miami’s 144-128 win at Kaseya Center. “I want the regular season to start. That’s when I get my dopamine hit. That’s where I feel like I’ll be myself.”

He shot 8-of-10 from the field and 4-of-9 at the line, blocked three shots, had four turnovers and was plus-15. Miami (3-1) played without Bam Adebayo, who sat with right groin tightness.

‘I feel alive’

Antetokounmpo is still playing in front of a crowd that spent years watching him from the other bench, and he said he can feel it. “I love it. I love it. It’s fun. I feel energized. I feel alive,” he said. “I have, like, how you call it, jitters — that’s how you call it. Whenever it’s a new crowd, they haven’t seen me play, or they have seen me play, but on the other side. Now we’re on the same side.”

He said he is still learning how Heat fans react in big moments and that he is “excited to get to know the fans and get this season rolling.” On the court, his instructions have been simple. “My teammates, the coaches, they want me to be aggressive, try to make plays, and that’s something that I’m going to continue to do,” he said. “Sometimes it’s going to work out, sometimes it’s not. But I’m having fun, the team is playing well.” He admitted the defense can be better, then added that the point total “sounds good to me.”

‘That pace is dangerous’

Asked about Davion Mitchell, who starts at point guard and pushes the ball from the opening tip, Antetokounmpo said the difference is obvious when Mitchell sits. “He’s incredible, and he’s tough to keep up with. He goes so fast,” he said. “You can see the difference when Ryan comes into the game and when Davion is out — our pace slows down. Obviously, Ryan is young, in his first year in the league, but we’ve got to keep that pace.”

Then he spoke from the other side of it. “That pace is dangerous. People don’t want to come in this gym and play with that pace,” Antetokounmpo said. “I didn’t want to come in this gym and play with that pace.” He said Mitchell also keeps him involved: when two or three trips go by without a touch, Mitchell is “always going to check in with me and make sure I get a touch and be able to operate from the post or from the wing.”

The Ryan he mentioned is rookie Ryan Conwell, who scored 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, made three of his four threes and was plus-23 in 24 minutes. “He’s a good player, a very good player. Makes the right play,” Antetokounmpo said. “He’s going to have a great future in this league.”

‘Pick your poison’

Antetokounmpo is used to defenses loading up on him, and he said that is fine with him. “They have to. You’ve got to pick your poison. You can’t stop everything,” he said. “I think basketball is like, what are you willing to lose from? Some teams think that Bobby cannot make a shot. But if I was Bobby, I’d love it.”

Bobby Portis, who came with him from Milwaukee, scored 12 points off the bench on 5-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-3 from three. “He’s a guy that I’ve played with for many, many years, and he knows exactly when I have the ball, how I operate, where the open spot will be for him,” Antetokounmpo said. He added that Portis is still learning Erik Spoelstra’s system. “When he has that down, he’s going to be a big threat for our team.”

‘I need as many games as I can get’

Miami has one preseason game left, Friday at Orlando, and Antetokounmpo said he wants it. “I need as many games as I can get, to be honest with you. As many reps as I can get,” he said. “I need to keep on learning to play with Tim, Davion, with Bam, with Simo, with Nico, with Nick. The more I play with them, the more comfortable I get. The more mistakes I make, the more comfortable I get. The more plays I make, the more comfortable I get. So I definitely need one more game, for sure.”

Those names are Tim Hardaway Jr., Mitchell, Adebayo, Simone Fontecchio, Nikola Jović and Nick Richards. Antetokounmpo also said the locker room has started well and that it has to stay that way. “I think we have something special, but we have to stay like this. We haven’t really done anything. It’s just preseason, and the season hasn’t even started,” he said. “Number one is that they’re good people, good teammates. Number two is that they’re good basketball players also.”

What’s next

The Heat close the preseason Friday at Orlando at 7 p.m. ET (2 a.m. Saturday in Cairo). The regular season opens Wednesday, Oct. 21, against Minnesota at Kaseya Center, and Antetokounmpo has made it clear he is ready for that one to count.