LOS ANGELES — The NBA’s early-season injury epidemic is one that has been difficult to ignore, with leading men such as Anthony Edwards, Kawhi Leonard, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Paolo Banchero sidelined for extended periods.

Already this season, the Heat have gone against a Charlotte Hornets roster lacking Kon Knueppel  and Coby White, an Indiana Pacers squad lacking Tyrese Halliburton and Ivica Zubac, with Jalen Duran and Ausar Thompson injured for the Detroit Pistons during their Heat matchup.

For Erik Spoelstra’s squad, so far, so good.

But to Giannis Antetokounmpo, good also is not good enough.

Limited to 36 games with the Milwaukee Bucks last season by a variety of reasons, Antetokounmpo has failed to reach what would have been the NBA 65-game threshold for award eligibility in four of the past seven seasons (the rule was adopted starting with the 2023–24 season).

Eligible to sign a four-year $276 million extension as of Jan. 6, Antetokounmpo stressed that staying power is the goal.

And for more than award eligibility or salary.

“I don’t want to just stop at your 65th game,” Antetokounmpo said to the Sun Sentinel in a private moment, with the Heat opening their five-game western swing Monday night against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.

“Last year was the first time I played in my career that I played so few games, and it was something I did not like. I did not like sitting and watching the games. I love being out there, I love competing.”

The love for the game, Antetokounmpo, 31, insisted, goes beyond award eligibility. It is, he said, about being in the fight.

“I find when you sit and you watch the game, it’s kind of boring,” he said in a moment of candor. “I’ve been used to being in the battle, I’m used to getting my hands dirty every single time.”

He’s also used to being in the conversation when it comes to individual hardware, voted NBA Most Valuable Player in 2019 and ’20, when he also was voted Defensive Player of the Year, and nine times on All-NBA teams and five times on All-Defensive teams. Each of those honors now requires meeting the 65-game threshold.

With any degree of Heat success, receiving such votes again should be expected, provided the games played are ample.

“The rule for me, I don’t necessarily care about the rule,” he said of the 65-game award mandate. “What I care about is to try to have the healthiest season that I can have, right?

“If that’s to play 65 games, so be it. If that’s to play 75 games, so be it.”

There have been plenty of seasons with plenty of games. Antetokounmpo appeared in 73 games as recently as 2023-24.

“I just want to play games, because I kind of miss playing basketball,” he said in the wake of the 2025-26 season, when he challenged the tanking Bucks over having him sit out at season’s end.

“I know if I stay healthy, to have the mindset to stay healthy, and if I work hard, then I will be mentioned with the best,” he said.

So far, so good, getting up after each time being knocked down, already with a league-high 16 and-one opportunities going into this five-game trip.

“My mindset is being free, playing with joy,” he said, “and I have to be healthy.”

Here is Giannis Antetokounmpo’s placement in MVP voting by season:

2013-14: No votes as rookie. Winner:  Kevin Durant.

2014–15: No votes. Winner: Stephen Curry.

2015–16: No votes. Winner: Curry

2016–17: 17th (tie). Winner: Russell Westbrook.

2017–18: 6th. Winner: James Harden. (Finished behind Harden, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, Westbrook.)

2018–19: Winner.

2019–20: Winner.

2020–21: 4th. Winner: Nikola Jokić. (Finished behind Jokić, Joel Embiid, Curry.)

2021–22: 3rd. Winner: Jokić. (Finished behind Jokić,  Embiid.)

2022–23: 3rd. Winner: Embiid. (Finished behind Embiid, Jokić.)

2023–24: 4th. Winner: Jokić. (Finished behind Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Dončić.)

2024–25: 3rd. Winner: Gilgeous-Alexander.  (Finished behind: Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokić.)

2025-26: Ineligible (appeared in only 36 games). Winner: Gilgeous-Alexander.