Giannis Antetokounmpo has outlined his championship ambitions after officially beginning the next chapter of his career with the Miami Heat.

The 31-year-old spent his first 13 NBA seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, winning two Most Valuable Player awards and leading the franchise to its first championship in 50 years. His move to Miami was officially completed in a blockbuster deal that also sent Bobby Portis Jr. to the Heat.

According to NBA.com, Milwaukee received Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakučionis and a substantial package of draft assets in return.

Giannis targets another championship

Antetokounmpo made clear during his introductory press conference that the opportunity to compete for another title was central to his decision.

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“Obviously, I’ve accomplished a lot of things in my career, but one of my goals is to win another championship,” he said. “I feel like this is the best route for me to do that.”

The Bucks missed the playoffs during a difficult 2025/26 campaign, ending a run of nine consecutive postseason appearances. Antetokounmpo remained highly productive despite being limited to 36 regular-season games, averaging 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists.

His departure leaves Milwaukee without the defining player of its modern era. Antetokounmpo was selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft before developing into a ten-time All-Star, two-time league MVP and the 2021 NBA Finals MVP.

Riley comment ignites LeBron speculation

Heat president Pat Riley added another layer of intrigue to the presentation with a comment widely interpreted as a reference to LeBron James.

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“We landed the plane,” Riley said. “Now there’s another one we have to land.”

The remark immediately fuelled speculation that Miami could pursue James, although Riley did not mention the four-time MVP by name. As described by CBS Sports, the Heat are considered a legitimate possible destination for their former star following Antetokounmpo’s arrival.

James has informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he intends to play elsewhere in the 2026/27 season, according to ESPN. However, he has not announced his next team, and Miami are only one of several franchises linked with him.

The 41-year-old previously spent four seasons with the Heat, reaching the NBA Finals each year and winning consecutive championships in 2012 and 2013.

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A new number for a new era

Antetokounmpo will wear No. 7 in Miami after spending his entire Bucks career in No. 34.

“Thirty-four holds so much weight, and it has so much history,” he said. “Out of respect to the organization that drafted me and that I played for, for 13 years, I decided to leave that number there and start a new chapter.”

The number change was confirmed by NBA.com, marking a visible break from his time in Milwaukee.

Antetokounmpo leaves the Bucks with career regular-season averages of 24.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists. More importantly for Miami, he arrives as a player still capable of transforming the franchise into an immediate contender.

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Whether James eventually joins him remains uncertain. For now, Riley has already completed the deal that places Miami back at the centre of the NBA title conversation.

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