Erik Spoelstra is baffled by how the referees treat Giannis Antetokounmpo originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Miami Heat are off to a nightmare start to the 2026-27 NBA season. Despite being seen as one of the top teams that improved in the offseason, they are struggling quite heavily to start the year, as they are winless after three games.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was superb in the first two games, but he struggled in the third game against the Charlotte Hornets. He could not build the best rhythm because he was dealing with foul trouble all game, which Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra dislikes seeing.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's foul trouble baffled Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra
In the first two games of the season against the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Detroit Pistons, Antetokounmpo was averaging over 30 points per game. He looked just like his prime years with the Milwaukee Bucks, but the results were not good.
Unfortunately, Antetokounmpo had to deal with foul trouble against the Hornets. He fouled out after only playing 25 minutes, which hampered Spoelstra's plans. Bam Adebayo, Davion Mitchell, and Pelle Larsson all played over 36 minutes, but it was not enough to win their first game of the season.
MORE: The Heat are off to a bad 0-3 start to the Giannis Antetokounmpo era in Miami
While Spoelstra does not want to blame the officials alone for the Heat's loss to the Hornets, he is not satisfied with what they have done. He wants more refs to properly officiate Antetokounmpo because he thinks that his star player is getting hacked out there, but fouls are only being called on him.
"I'm not making this game about the officials so everybody else can just kick rocks. I'm just talking about the physicality he endures every game, and then he's the one fouling out? - That's like Shaq," Spoelstra said after the Heat's loss to the Hornets.
Losing all three games to start the year is the Heat's worst start since the 2007-08 season. For anyone who knows their history, they will know that the Heat had a league-worst 15-67 record back then. Of course, with Giannis and Bam as the star duo, that should not happen, but this is a bleak start to a season that was promising in the summer.
More NBA news:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo's admission has opened eyes about the Heat's fans
- Bam Adebayo has gotten honest about the terrible performance he had vs. the Pistons
- Erik Spoelstra is not too worried about the Heat's slow start to the 2026-27 NBA season
- Giannis Antetokounmpo gives his honest take on his chemistry with Bam Adebayo
- Giannis Antetokounmpo takes accountability for the Heat's season-opening loss