Skip to main content
Inside The Heat

Mike Bibby has lost his mind about Giannis, Bam, Miami Heat

The former NBA guard has forgotten how good Antetokounmpo is
Nov 18, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA;  Sacramento State Hornets head coach Mike Bibby during the first half against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Nov 18, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Sacramento State Hornets head coach Mike Bibby during the first half against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In this story:

Any Miami Heat fans remember Mike Bibby? If not, no one can blame you. He was on his last legs while with the team in their first go around with the Big Three and more of his minutes should have gone to Mario Chalmers.

The team is struggling a bit, and Bibby may have just had the worst basketball take of the early season in the entire NBA, beating out Draymond Green and Demarcus Cousins, saying that Giannis Antetokounmpo should take a backseat on offense to Bam Adebayo.

He specifically said that Antetokounmpo needed to find a way to fit in, instead of the logical idea that others find their way around him. 

See, this is what people mean when they say you can play the game and not understand it. Maybe it would make sense if Adebayo had a post game like Kevin McHale or could take over like Hakeem Olajuwon, but he’s got an ordinary arsenal that’s boosted by his supreme athleticism. 

Bibby has forgotten, but Antetokounmpo averaged 30.2 points in the 2021 playoffs while leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a title, and he has 64 games logging at least 40 points in the regular season and playoffs combined, to Adebyao’s two. Aside from that, the Greek Freak is more accurate at close range on a higher volume.

For goodness sake, how does someone who played with Chris Webber not understand that the better option is the more skilled player who is bigger and stronger? I thought intelligence was supposed to be a point-guard trait because not even Adebayo believes that, and coach Erik Spoelstra would laugh at it.  His idea is as bad as if the old Sacramento Kings decided to feature Vlade Divac over Webber, or if Pat Riley decided to feature Charles Oakley over Patrick Ewing with the New York Knicks.

Aside from playing fast, they should continue with some of their stuff on offense. Keep in mind that teammates are shooting 45.2, 39.4 and 38 percent on 3-point attempts supplied by Antetokounmpo, Adebayo and Mitchell. While Antetokounmpo’s efficiency is not as high as usual, it’s still excellent at a 57.5 effective field goal percentage with 28.3 points, so he should keep leading the charge.

Maybe it’s true, and Bibby hasn’t been right since he got called for the foul after he was elbowed in the face by Kobe Bryant in Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals. So, in an effort to help him, he should know that the team’s biggest problem is that they can’t cover the arc even if their lives depend on it. So far, they’ve been unable to help the helper, and their traps have been ineffective.

I’m only here to help, Mike. Whatever you need.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Published
Mateo Mayorga
MATEO MAYORGA

Mateo has covered the Miami Heat and the NBA since 2020, including the 2020 Finals through Zoom and the 2023 Finals in person. He also writes for Five Reasons Sports Network about the WNBA and boxing, and can be read at SB Nation’s Pounding the Rock for coverage on the San Antonio Spurs. Twitter: @MateoMayorga23