Nikola Jovic names Bobby Portis as a career example as he learns from Heat veterans

Nikola Jovic has identified Bobby Portis as a veteran whose career he would like to learn from. In Zachary Weinberger’s ClutchPoints report following Miami’s Saturday preseason game, Jovic said he had shared that ambition with teammates during training camp.

“At one point, I really hope I have a career like Bobby,” Jovic said in the report. His comments centered on what he can learn from the players around him, not on a newly announced role or contract decision.

Nikola Jovic speaks on the growing relationship with Bobby Portis Jr., says it’s going great and how he hopes he has a career like him. #Heat pic.twitter.com/qMEH6DQNoq

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) October 11, 2026

Learning from more than one veteran

Jovic said he felt Portis was underestimated and that there was a lot to learn from him. He also named Klay Thompson, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Tim Hardaway Jr. while discussing the veterans who can help him develop.

The comments are Jovic’s personal assessment of his teammates. They do not establish that Miami plans to use him in the same role as Portis or that his regular-season minutes have been decided.

That makes the point different from a box-score recap: Jovic is describing the examples he wants to follow and the people he is looking to for help, rather than setting a statistical target for the season.

A preseason learning process

Weinberger’s report presents the comments as part of Jovic’s preparation for the coming season. This account is limited to those attributed remarks; it does not treat a preseason performance as proof of a completed change in his role.

Miami’s younger players are also learning different offensive responsibilities. Our Heat-Timberwolves coverage includes the reported work Ryan Conwell is doing on movement shooting and playmaking reads.