The Miami Heat don't officially open training camp until the end of September, but that hasn't stopped the team from trying to get a step ahead. This past weekend, most of the Heat players (with the exception of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Simone Fontecchio) participated in a mini camp in California. Or, as Davion Mitchell named it, "pain camp."
Either way, there's one specific snapshot video from the cap that is bound to get Heat fans excited about the upcoming season.
In the video, which was originally shared on Mitchell's Instagram account, while slowly making its way onto X, there's 5-on-5 action, lifting sessions, camaraderie time, and even some motivational speaking, which features Mitchell addressing the team with a quote that should be a mantra for the season.
“We already champions, so let’s start acting like it”
Whatever that means, it works. And if you're a Heat fan and that doesn't get you excited about the upcoming season, you may need to go check your pulse. At this rate, it's hard not to be excited about the start of the 2026-27 NBA season in Miami.
And to be perfectly honest, I can't remember that was the case for many Heat fans.
It's hard not to be excited about the start of the Giannis era in Miami
Since the LeBron James years, there's a strong argument to be made that there hasn't been this level of excitement heading into a new season. Sure, there was a lot of intrigue heading into Jimmy Butler's first season with the team, but the addition of Giannis takes the current hype to an entirely different level.
With all due respect to Jimmy, Giannis is in an entirely different stratosphere. Jimmy brought relevance back to Miami; Giannis likely makes the Heat a title contender from day one.
And that's something that hasn't been the case for the Heat in a very long time. The last time the Heat were considered a title contender BEFORE the start of the season, you're talking about the LeBron years. That was the last time the Heat were considered that level of threat.
But what makes this season even more unique for Heat fans is the idea that it feels like even the players can't wait for this next chapter to start. They're already showing up for voluntary mini-camp, and there are still two weeks until the official start of training camp.
The hype surrounding the Heat is real, and especially after this hype video from Mitchell, it's becoming incredibly hard to deny it.
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