Miami Heat star Giannis Antetokounmpo finds Florida iguanas scary
· Yahoo Sports
MIAMI — Giannis Antetokounmpo slowly is adapting to South Florida, except for one thing.
The Miami Heat's newest savior made it clear during his introductory press conference in July his disdain for iguanas. That aversion has not changed during his few months in the area.
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So much so that he may be willing to bail on his new $13.5 million mansion in Pinecrest if iguanas continue to invade his property.
"If the iguanas keep on coming, I'll probably move," Antetokounmpo said at the Heat's media day Sept. 28. "Maybe get an apartment. So there won't be no pools, no grass, none of that stuff.
"Somebody told me when I came here in July they were kind of cute, you know. Not cute! Not cute!"
Antetokounmpo was acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks less than 24 hours before the start of the NBA draft. The deal included six players and a slew of picks, the key figures being Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to Miami; Tyler Herro and Kel’el Ware to Milwaukee.
Geckos? Iguanas? Not to Antetokounmpo's liking
Three weeks later, the 6-foot-11 forward with a 7-foot-3 wingspan and known as the Greek Freak brought up his aversion to the plant-eating lizard with the spiky scales.
"I don't like what you guys call, geckos, geckos? I don't like those," he said before being told they are iguanas.
"Iguanas? I don't like those," he said. "Yeah, those got to stay away from me."
But that will only go so far.
Antetokounmpo was told it is illegal to kill iguanas in Florida without a permit or hunting license.
"Like shoot them?" he asked. "I can't do that. I can't do that."
Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Heat star Giannis Antetokounmpo finds Florida iguanas scary