​MIAMI — Bobby Portis is where he always wanted to be.”I was born to be a Heatle,” said the man who will always be through of as the throw-in in the deal that brought Giannis Antetokounmpo to South Florida.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPortis, 31, was the undercard during a day of introductions at the Kaseya Center on Thursday, July 16, taking the stage about three hours before Antetokounmpo’s anticipated arrival on the arena’s main floor.Portis spoke about his sideline bump with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, the journey when it came to choosing No. 95 (had something to do with his birthyear and I-95), embracing his role as a bench player and how all he and Antetokounmpo want to do is win and to be “trending in June” means working hard starting in July.Miami Heat: Giannis Antetokounmpo acquired in blockbuster dealJul 16, 2026; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat forward Bobby Portis (95) speaks to reporters during his introductory press conference at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn ImagesBut just as important, how the Heat came to be his favorite team while growing up in Little Rock, Arkansas.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement”I’ve been rockin’ with the Heat since they were playing against the Mavs (in the 2011 Finals), against the Spurs in the Finals,” Portis said. “Ray Allen in the corner.”Chris Bosh offensive rebound. Corner pass. Everybody thought it was over. The ropes were out,” Portis added giving his best play-by-play of Allen’s iconic 3 pointer in Game 6 of the 2013 Final.Still, it took 11 years and four teams — the last six with the Bucks — for Portis to reach his desired destination.And if you believe Heat president Pat Riley, the feeling is mutual.”This is a long time coming for me as the pursuit was there for a number of years,” Riley said, even if Portis is here because of the relentless pursuit of Antetokounmpo.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement”Always loved his game right out of Arkansas. Prototype power forward, very versatile, scorer.”Spoelstra, who now has another challenge of making sure all the new pieces fit around the team’s incumbent superstar, Bam Adebayo, says the 6-foot-9, 250-pound Portis brings a “lunch pail, physical mentality.””We feel like we bring a physicality and an edge to our front court,” he added. “That’s something we always wanted.”And Spoelstra knows first hand.The years was 2023. First round of the playoffs. The Heat and Bucks were coming out of a timeout and Portis and Spoelstra met on the sidelines.And they didn’t exchange pleasantries.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement”I was coming from their end and he was in my way and I wasn’t going to move my route and we kind of bumped,” Portis said. “And if you look at that the clip, (Heat enforcer Udonis Haslem) came up to me and got in my face a little bit. Which is kind of funny that I’m here now.”It’s great to be around competitors.”After saying, with a big smile, “Bobby and I got to know each other over the years,” Spoelst