MIAMI (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo evidently knows a little bit about football, too.

The Miami Heat power forward looked like a football-playing long snapper on Saturday night, flicking the ball backward between his legs and setting up Klay Thompson for a 3-pointer from the left corner in a game against the Detroit Pistons. Antetokounmpo finished with 34 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists in a 137-117 Heat win.

BETWEEN HIS OWN LEGS 😲

HOW did Giannis find Klay in the corner?? pic.twitter.com/y2ifH41yTx

— NBA (@NBA) November 15, 2026

“I wanted to make the pass before the ball got deflected,” said Antetokounmpo, who has pulled off similar passes before.

The football-esque play happened about two minutes into the opening quarter. Antetokounmpo — a known soccer enthusiast — lunged toward the floor to corral a loose ball, as Detroit guards Duncan Robinson and Kevin Huerter converged on the play.

Thompson was watching the play the entire way, caught the “hike” from Antetokounmpo, pivoted and shot without a dribble. The shot went in, and those on the Heat bench leaped up in celebration. Even Thompson gave a look of disbelief as play headed the other way.

“It was an incredible snap, long-snapper style,” Thompson said in an on-court interview shown in the arena. “It’s a testament to Giannis’ skill level. People get enamored with his ability to dunk and run, but my goodness … he just knew I was in the corner. Didn’t even see me, and just right through the legs.”

Antetokounmpo knew Thompson was in the corner, and figured he hadn’t moved.

“I knew he was still gonna be there,” Antetokounmpo said.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, standing just a few feet from where the “hike” happened, said he didn’t see such a play coming.

“I usually can see a pass that somebody’s going to make, and I would never have predicted that pass to the corner,” Spoelstra said. “And then, Klay just has a career of seizing a moment, right? He’s not going to let a moment pass. … He’s going to make sure he knocks down the 3.”

It was the first of two wild assists from Antetokounmpo in the first half. The other was a no-look, over-the-shoulder toss to Ryan Conwell, setting up another 3-pointer late in the second quarter.

“We like it when he brings a little bit of Magic Johnson to the game,” Spoelstra said.