Caleb Martin contributed 18 factors off the bench for the Miami Warmth of their dominant 128-102 win over the Boston Celtics in Recreation 3 of the Jap Convention Finals on Sunday evening, Could 21. Within the Warmth’s 111-105 Recreation 2 victory, Martin torched the Celtics for 25 factors, and he bucketed one other 15 within the sequence’ opening matchup (one other Warmth win).
The eighth-seeded Warmth are one win away from maybe essentially the most inconceivable NBA Finals look in historical past — definitely in current reminiscence — and we realized throughout TNT’s Recreation 2 broadcast that Martin was only one J. Cole name away from Miami final summer time.
“We came upon some attention-grabbing details about Caleb Martin and the way he obtained thus far,” TNT sideline reporter Allie LaForce mentioned in the course of the second quarter, as captured by Bleacher Report. “We have been speaking to [Heat head coach] Erik Spoelstra earlier than the sport, and he mentioned per week earlier than camp began, J. Cole — sure, J. Cole, the rapper — referred to as assistant coach Caron Butler and mentioned, ‘My man Caleb Martin is obtainable.’”
LaForce continued, “Coach Butler handed on the data to Erik Spoelstra. He mentioned, ‘May he come? We’re scrimmaging tomorrow.’ [Martin] confirmed up, impressed everybody, turned a two-way participant, and ever since, was an enormous a part of the beginning rotation till they needed to determine to signal him full-time. It was a match made in heaven from day one.”
Martin went undrafted within the 2019 NBA draft, signing that summer time as an undrafted free agent with the Charlotte Hornets. The Nevada product inked a multi-year pact with the crew by that October (as relayed by the NBA on the time), however Martin was waived in August 2021.
Miami signed Martin to a two-way contract in September 2021 (as first reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania), which blossomed right into a three-year extension price as much as $20.4 million come final July.
Undrafted gamers Martin, Duncan Robinson, Gabriel Vincent, and Max Strus have contributed impressively to this magical Warmth playoff run led by six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler.
