Bibby going back to Atlanta as opponent

MIAMI (AP)

Mike Bibby has already been back to Atlanta twice since the Hawks gave him away last month, grabbing clothes and other items from his house.

He'll be there for something else on Friday.

For the first time in four years - technically, one day shy of that four-year anniversary - Bibby will be in Atlanta as an opponent when his latest team, the Miami Heat, visit the Hawks. It'll be the 10th time in his career that Bibby will be on the visitors' side of the court in Atlanta, but this one will likely seem more significant in a number of ways.

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''I've been thinking about it a lot,'' Bibby said. ''I think it's going to be fun. Good to see some of the old friends. I was good friends with people on the team, people in the organization. So I think it should be a good homecoming.''

Bibby's road to Miami started Feb. 23 when the Hawks traded him to Washington in part of a five-player deal, a move that caught the veteran point guard by some surprise.

He sought a buyout from the Wizards, and it came at a price: Bibby decided to forgo his entire salary for next season, just more than $6 million, to have the chance to join Miami and compete for a championship.

''Everybody's been making me feel comfortable off the court and that's the first place you've got to be,'' Bibby said. ''When you come in to 12, 14, 15 new guys that you've got to get acclimated with, the easiest thing is when they come and make you feel like you've been here all season. I feel comfortable in that aspect. I just have to get comfortable on the court.''

The Heat have asked Bibby to be a calming, veteran influence, and say they like what he's done in those capacities. He's appeared in eight games with Miami, averaging 5.8 points and connecting on 48 percent of his 3-point attempts.

''Mike's a veteran,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''He understands what it takes and understands why we brought him here.''

Bibby acknowledged that Friday will be a special night that he's looking forward to seeing his former Hawks teammates, many of whom he's kept in contact with.

To him, the bigger priority for Miami is simply getting a win. The Heat are just 5-7 since the All-Star break.

''I'm just glad to be here and be a part of this,'' Bibby said.