MIAMI – As the Miami Heat were involved in trade talks for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the team made no trades ahead of Thursday's deadline, showing faith in the way the current team is constructed. With the Heat trying to avoid eighth seed purgatory and another trip to the play-in tournament, the team will be led by its one All-Star in Norman Powell, who spoke for the first time about the honors.

Powell has no doubt made a huge impact in his first season with Miami, leading the team with averaging 23 points per game while shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from three-point range. The 32-year-old has spoken time and time again about wanting to be an All-Star, making the nod that much more “meaningful.”

“Just a milestone that I accomplished that I set out as a kid,” Powell said after Thursday's practice. “I always wanted to be at that stage. I think it’s a testament of my hard work, my commitment to the game, my continued belief in myself at the level of player that I can be and continue to strive to be. So it’s definitely a great accomplishment for me, personally. I wouldn't be able to be in a position if it wasn't for the organization, for the team, my teammates allowed me to come in here as a new player in the system, and accepting me for who I am, and allowing me to be me.”

The good news keeps coming for the first-time All-Star in Powell as he announced on his Instagram about the birth of his child. Powell had missed the last three games due to “personal reasons,” but is now back with the team, making a return to practice on Thursday.

Heat's Norman Powell on the full-circle moment of being an All-Star

Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) reacts after scoring against the Phoenix Suns during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center.
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

While the Heat's Powell has spoken before about being an All-Star, that talk persisted when he was with the Los Angeles Clippers, being considered a snub last season as he was amidst a career-year. Having missed out, one of his goals was doing so with Miami, making a full circle moment, and one where he harkened back to the noise surrounding him in the public eye.

“I think it's a moment that just solidified everything I was saying, you know, people were looking at me, talking about me crazy on social media when I first came out and opened up about that being one of my goals, and saying, ‘I’m an All-Star, I believe I am one.’ This dated back to when I first got to the Clippers,” Powell said to ClutchPoints. “People kind of blasted me, killed me in the media for saying that. But it's the belief I had in myself and my abilities and the work that I continue to put in each and every year, each and every summer, just trying to work on my game, get better.”

“And so the work that I put in, it was just like sticking to the moment, they've always doubted me and my abilities, and trying to put me in this box that I've always believed in myself and that I'm capable of more,” Powell continued. “So it's a good accomplishment, but it's not the peak for me. You know, there's a lot more to go out and get. There's a lot more wins that we need to go get. So now it's just focusing back in how we can close out these last couple games before the break.”

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Heat's Norman Powell gives perspective on current point in the season

With the Heat looking to maintain its problems with the team hovering over .500, Powell is hoping to bring some consistency back into the fold whether it be in the locker room or on the floor. It doesn't help that the team has been dealing with players coming in and out of the lineup like Powell, Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell, and especially Tyler Herro, who has eclipsed 40 total absences.

The urgency is at its peak, with Powell saying to ClutchPoints that they're at a point where seeding matters as Miami tries to reach familiar heights, with the Heat having finished as an eighth seed and in the play-in tourney for the past three seasons.

“Just being able to watch and see how I can come back in and affect the game,” Powell said. “It's not always about coming back in and affecting with my ability, but in a leadership role. When you're able to watch the games, and you're not in it, you're able to see certain things that we're missing as a team, or things that we can clean up and get better at, so coming back in and filling that void and being more vocal in that leadership role and making sure that we're all tied together.”

“I know people are saying different things in the media about where we're at with teams and stuff,” Powell continued. “That we've lost to games that we should have won, but that doesn't matter now, it's all about locking back in and getting this thing right…going into the break and moving forward, because now all these games have a little extra meaning to it…So getting this team back into the belief and the confidence of it, individually and collectively, and going out there and putting on a good brand of basketball going forward.”

At any rate, Powell looks to show why he's an All-Star in Miami's next game on Thursday against the Boston Celtics.