Giannis Antetokounmpo will suit up for the Miami Heat in the 2026-27 season after spending his first 13 NBA seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, a run that included a championship in 2021.
Antetokounmpo made ten consecutive All-Star teams during his time in Milwaukee and helped the Bucks defeat the Phoenix Suns in six games to capture the 2021 title. The Bucks traded Antetokounmpo to the Heat late Monday night.
He is not the first star to leave the franchise where he rose to prominence. Michael Jordan, long synonymous with the Chicago Bulls, played 16 NBA seasons, won six championships with Chicago (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998), retired in October 1993, returned in March 1995, retired again in January 1999, joined the Washington Wizards’ front office in January 2000 and then played two seasons for the Wizards, finishing his career April 16, 2003.
Patrick Ewing made his name with the New York Knicks over 15 seasons and 11 All-Star appearances, averaging 22.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.7 blocks during his New York tenure. Ewing and the Knicks pushed the Houston Rockets to seven games in the 1994 Finals, and after requesting a trade he spent one season with the Seattle SuperSonics and another with the Orlando Magic before retiring in 2002.
Hakeem Olajuwon spent 17 seasons with the Houston Rockets, earning 12 All-Star and All-NBA selections, two championships, two Defensive Player of the Year awards and one MVP. The Rockets traded Olajuwon to the Toronto Raptors before the 2001 season, and he played one year in Toronto before retiring.
Tony Parker, a 2001 draft pick of the San Antonio Spurs, was a six-time All-Star who spent 17 seasons in San Antonio and won championships in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014. Parker signed a two-year contract with the Charlotte Hornets before the 2018-19 season and retired in July 2019 after one season there. Klay Thompson, who spent his first 13 seasons with the Golden State Warriors and helped the franchise to four championships, joined the Dallas Mavericks via a sign-and-trade in summer 2024 and arrived to play alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving for the reigning Western Conference champions.
