The Miami Heat had a positive start to the NBA preseason with a 129-105 win over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. However, Giannis Antetokounmpo needed only 14 minutes in his Heat debut to give Erik Spoelstra an idea of what his new superstar could bring to the offense.

Spoelstra made a heartfelt comparison when discussing Antetokounmpo's passing and overall playmaking.

“Pat (Riley) was at practice all week, and the way he's played with the ball in his hands and delivering the ball, he reminds all of us of a great big point guard that played for Pat back in the '80s,” Spoelstra said.

Spo on Giannis' playmaking:

"With the size and the vision and his ability just to put it on the numbers, you know, to your shooters, is really impressive.

You know, Pat was at practice all week, and the way he's played with the ball in his hands and delivering the ball reminds… pic.twitter.com/mSRT0rGH3k

— Naveen Ganglani (@naveenganglani) October 4, 2026

For those unaware, the Heat coach referenced a great big point guard Pat Riley coached with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1980s, and it was none other than Hall of Famer Magic Johnson.

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Johnson was a five-time NBA champion, three-time MVP, and one of the greatest passers in league history. Antetokounmpo has two MVP awards and an NBA championship of his own, but his assists have become an increasingly important part of his game.

That was evident against Toronto. Antetokounmpo finished with nine points, four rebounds and seven assists while shooting 3-for-3 from the field. All seven of his assists led directly to 3-pointers, allowing Miami's shooters to capitalize when Toronto's defense collapsed around him.

Antetokounmpo left Milwaukee as the Bucks' career assists leader after 13 seasons. His career high is 6.5 assists per game, while Johnson averaged 11.2 assists throughout his 13-year Lakers career.

The comparison is obviously a lofty one, but Antetokounmpo still has a lot coming to him this regular season. The Heat will have more opportunities to explore his playmaking as Miami's offense continues to develop around him.