Giannis Makes Miami Heat Debut

By Elena Marika Konstantinou

October 22, 2026

Giannis Antetokounmpo's Miami Heat era is officially underway, and he made sure nobody missed it. The Athens-born star scored 35 points in his regular-season debut for the Heat on Wednesday night, but the Minnesota Timberwolves spoiled the party with a 131-106 win at Kaseya Center in Miami.

He wasted no time. As USA Today reported, Giannis scored his first basket just 13 seconds into the game on a pull-up jumper, then scored Miami's first eight points and finished the first quarter with 14. By halftime he had 21 points on 8 of 10 shooting, something he never managed in a single half last season.

He finished with 35 points on 13 of 19 shooting, 9 of 14 at the free throw line, six rebounds, one assist and one steal in just under 30 minutes, according to the official NBA box score. Bam Adebayo added 15 points, and Davion Mitchell had 11 points and 10 assists.

The night still belonged to Anthony Edwards. The Timberwolves star poured in 45 points with nine three-pointers and 10 rebounds, while LaMelo Ball, also debuting for his new team, added 21 points, five threes and six assists. The Minnesota Star Tribune summed it up simply: Minnesota's sharp shooting (21 threes as a team) was too much, even on a huge night from Giannis.

The excitement was loud online anyway. The NBA's official account shared his 21-point first half, and the Heat's account posted clips of him trading words with Edwards and covering the floor from the top of the key to the rim in two giant strides.

For fans in Greece, tip-off came at 2:30 a.m., and anyone who stayed up saw the kid from the Sepolia neighborhood of Athens open a brand new chapter, just as we set up in our preview of his Miami Heat premiere.

One loss in October does not define a season. If that first quarter was any preview, Miami's new No. 7 is more than ready to carry the load.

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