Giannis Antetokounmpo wanted no part of LeBron James in Miami

LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Photo Via Imagn Images)

Giannis Antetokounmpo reportedly wanted no part of LeBron James in Miami

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports | By Arnab Mondal | Last updated Jul 24, 2026 6:32 PM ET

LeBron James ended weeks of speculation on Friday by announcing that he is joining the Philadelphia 76ers after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers. The four-time NBA champion reportedly agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract. And now this put an end to many rumors, including the idea that he could return to the Miami Heat.

Even though James chose another team, Miami still considers this offseason a success. The Heat had already acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo, the move many believed was their biggest goal. For Miami, signing Giannis was the start of something new, no matter where James ended up.

A new report also explained why a partnership between James and Giannis never came close to happening. According to reporter Emma Vance, Giannis was not interested in teaming up with James behind the scenes, even though he publicly welcomed the idea.

Report sheds light on Giannis Antetokounmpo's stance

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Benny Sieu-Imagn Images)

According to Vance, Giannis preferred to move forward without sharing the court with James.

“Now that LeBron James has made his decision to sign with Philadelphia, I can share a piece of information from the process. Giannis Antetokounmpo was pushing for LeBron publicly, but was not interested in teaming up privately, per source. He felt like it would not make sense with the roster and style of play that he was promised before signing allegedly,” Vance said.

UPDATE: Now that LeBron James has made his decision to sign with Philadelphia, I can share a piece of information from the process.

Giannis Antetokounmpo was pushing for LeBron publicly, but was not interested in teaming up privately, per source.

He felt like it would not… https://t.co/DgUjK6rFuo pic.twitter.com/GwZHY2vcoF
— Emma Vance (@emmaleevance) July 24, 2026

The report suggests Giannis wanted the Heat to stay committed to the plan they presented when they recruited him. He reportedly felt that signing James would have changed the roster and the style of play the team had promised.

Miami entered the offseason under immense pressure. Many people believed the Heat needed to sign Giannis or start thinking about a long-term rebuild. Instead, they landed one of the NBA’s biggest stars and completely changed the mood around the franchise.

Adding James would have created even more excitement, but the team had already accomplished its biggest target by bringing in Giannis.

The signing also gave fans new hope. After months of uncertainty, there is now much more optimism around the organization.

The Heat still has work to do before the new season begins.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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