Friday night, Caleb Martin scored 25 points in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals to carry Miami Heat to an upset win over the Celtics.
This was the best playoff performance for the 27-year-old, and he helped Miami make it 2-0 in the series before it returns to Florida. If they can close out the playoff at home it would be the first appearance by an eighth-ranked player in the Finals since the 1999 Knicks.
But just two years before stealing the show at Celtics stadium, Caleb Martin I was desperately looking for a place to play.
This is where he came into the picture J. Cole.
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The story of J. Cole, Caleb Martin and the Miami Heat
Caleb and his twin brother Cody MartinThey played together at NC State and then Nevada. After finishing his senior season in 2019, Cody was selected by the Hornets with the 36th pick in the Draft, while Caleb went undrafted, although both joined paths in Charlotte.
Caleb didn’t get many minutes on the Hornets, averaging just over five points a night in his first two seasons. At the end of the 2020-2021 season he was released by the team, but his NBA journey was far from over.
during that offseason, Martin kept working in the hope of finding another team willing to give him a chance. As a North Carolina native he often frequented the training facility owned by the world famous J. Colea native of Fayetteville (North Carolina).
More | Miami came back against Boston in the final and achieved a key 2-0 in the series
Cole has tried to carve out his own career as a player, being part of the Patriots Basketball Club in Rwanda and the Scarborough Shooting Stars in Canada in the last two years. In other words, she knows the game and she saw potential in Martin.
Also, he had some connections with people in the NBA, including Miami Heat assistant coach Caron Butler.
“He came up to me and said he had a very, very talented guy who was playing very well in North Carolina.” dijo Butler a The Charlotte Observer. “[Martin] he had just been cut from the Hornets. Obviously, we were still trying to improve our team.”
Butler liked what he heard enough to invite Martin to a Miami Heat workout.
More | How the trash talk between Butler and Williams changed Game 2
“[J. Cole] He came up to me and I told him that I had just invited Martin to an impromptu training session. And from that moment he earned his way. But J. Cole had the vision to know that Caleb could step up and help an aspiring team. It was really amazing.”
During the second game in Boston, Allie LaForce the TNT corroborated the story, reporting that Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was the one who suggested the invite.
J. Cole helped Caleb Martin sign with the Heat ???? pic.twitter.com/pK11s4JPP5
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 20, 2023
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Martin made the most of his opportunity and has become an important player for Miami. In addition to his brilliant 25-point performance against the Celtics, he also had 22 points in Game 2 against the Knicks. Thus until averaging 9.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists this season, his fourth in the NBA.
But this may never have happened without the intervention J. Cole.
The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
2023-05-20 08:08:41
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