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By Aman Sharma
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Miami Heat forward Giannis Antetokounmpo told The Athletic he isn’t letting Doc Rivers’ criticism keep him up at night.
It comes with Miami sitting at 5-6 after an offseason blockbuster brought the two-time MVP over from the Milwaukee Bucks.
Antetokounmpo’s bigger problem is closer to home, with the Heat ranked 25th in defensive rating.
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Rivers, his former Bucks coach, said on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” that the forward was difficult to coach and questioned Antetokounmpo’s basketball IQ, remarks Rivers has since said he regrets.
The Heat star first responded after Miami’s win over the Sacramento Kings on Nov. 8, calling the remarks “crazy” and urging kids to “never let bitterness and pettiness get in front of your goals and dreams.”
He later told The Athletic the words wouldn’t push him harder.
“That’s external motivation. That can make you hungry for a game or two, but it’s either in you or it’s not, you know what I’m saying? What people say, that’s not going to make you hungry. In order for you to be really hungry, it’s got to be the way you go about your life.”
His confidence hasn’t budged, he added.
“My level of belief is 100%,” Antetokounmpo said. “It never wavers. No matter what anybody says. That’s how I operate.”
Asked about sleepless nights as he climbed onto the bus, the 31-year-old didn’t hesitate.
“Hell no,” he said. “Losing sleep? Hell no.”
The production backs him up. He’s averaging 27.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and one block per game, a combination no other active player can match.
On Nov. 10, he carried Miami past the Utah Jazz 115-109 with 30 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.
The team numbers lag behind. Miami is 19th in both net rating and offensive rating, and coach Erik Spoelstra has admitted a promising preseason fooled him.
Spoelstra has been here before. His 2010-11 Heat, featuring LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, opened 9-8 and still reached the NBA Finals.
Rivers, who won the 2008 title with the Boston Celtics, made the comments to Simmons, a longtime Celtics loyalist.
Boston also chased Antetokounmpo before Miami landed him, which makes the setting a bit awkward.
His resume includes two MVPs, a Defensive Player of the Year award, a championship, and 10 All-Star selections, and The Athletic ranked him 24th all time in 2022.
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