Heat official blunder! Immediately put up Giannis' No. 34 jersey for sale, then notified fans to exchange for No. 7

On July 7, Beijing time, the Heat successfully landed their primary free-agent target this offseason, trading for two-time regular-season MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, marking a huge win for the organization. But the Heat obviously messed up his jersey number.

Shortly after the trade was officially announced on Monday afternoon local time, the Heat announced Giannis would wear No. 34—the number he had used throughout his 13-year tenure with the Bucks. However, just seven hours later, news broke that Giannis decided to switch to No. 7 with the Heat. The team updated its promotional images, showing Giannis originally in No. 34 now wearing No. 7.

At 12:01 p.m. Monday, the NBA trade moratorium ended, and the Heat immediately began selling Giannis No. 34 jerseys. But hours later, when the number change was revealed, the team had to provide a solution for fans who had already purchased the No. 34 jerseys.

A Heat official spokesperson stated: "All online orders for Giannis No. 34 jerseys and customized No. 34 jerseys with 'Antetokounmpo' will be uniformly replaced with the new No. 7 jerseys for shipping. Fans who bought jerseys in physical stores can go to the store to exchange for the new No. 7 jerseys."

Second-round rookie guard Conwell was originally assigned No. 7, but now that Giannis has chosen that number, he will have to switch to another number.

The Heat sent guard Tyler Herro, center Kel'el Ware, forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., guard A.J. Johnson, along with three first-round picks (the No. 13 pick this year, used to select Tennessee forward Ament; unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033), a 2030 first-round pick swap, and a 2033 second-round pick, in exchange for Giannis and veteran forward Bobby Portis from the Bucks.

Both sides had reached a framework for the trade by midnight on June 22, but it wasn't finalized until Monday. Portis will wear No. 95 for the Heat.

Heat president Pat Riley released an official statement on Monday: "Completing the trade to acquire Giannis and Portis today is one of the most significant deals in Heat franchise history. In my view, Giannis is among the top five players in the league, and Portis is one of the premier power forwards."

Now 31 years old, Giannis has just finished his 13th NBA season and remains at the top of the league in terms of performance. Last regular season, he played 36 games, averaging 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists, with a shooting percentage of 62.4% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range.

However, injuries have plagued him recently. He played only 36 games last season, a career low, primarily due to multiple calf strains. On March 15, he suffered a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise, which ended his season early.

As long as he stays healthy, Giannis remains an elite superstar. He won the regular-season MVP in 2018-19 and 2019-20. Before injuries disrupted his rhythm, he had finished in the top four of MVP voting for seven consecutive seasons.

He has been named to the All-NBA team nine times (seven first-team, two second-team) and the All-Defensive team five times (four first-team, one second-team). He also won the 2016-17 Most Improved Player award and the 2019-20 Defensive Player of the Year award.

In the 2013 NBA Draft, the Bucks selected the 18-year-old Greek teenager Giannis with the 15th overall pick in the first round. Before this trade to the Heat, his entire NBA career had been spent with the Bucks.