Cavs' Max Strus joins LeBron James as only active players to win exclusive award

Max Strus won an Emmy with the Heat, joining former Cavs star LeBron James as the only active players to have the exclusive reward.

Recently, when the Cleveland Cavaliers were wrapping up practice, forward Isaac Okoro shared with the media that he would like to be an actor once he retires. He shared with ClutchPoints that EGOT-winning actress Viola Davis is his muse and loves anything she performs in. Okoro was stumped when asked who would play him in a biopic. But, the 22-year-old did have ideas of his ideal role once his Hollywood career begins.

“I could be a serial killer,” Okoro said.

While Okoro waits for his chance to become a star off the court, his teammate Max Strus is already breaking through in the entertainment scene. When asked what emotions were running through his head leading up to the Cavs visiting the Miami Heat, Strus' former team, the sharpshooter zigged when everyone expected him to zag.

“I don't know if you guys heard, but I won an Emmy,” said Strus, who joined the Cavs from the Heat in the offseason. “Nobody heard that? Yeah, I won an Emmy. Miami did a documentary about my life back in my hometown with my family – it won an Emmy. So, it's no big deal. But I don't know if they will do some kind of big presentation for that or the red carpet or something. We'll see.”

Last season, Miami did feature Strus as a part of their ongoing Inside the HEAT series. Fast forward to November 2023, and Strus and the Heat did win an Emmy in the Sports Program – Post-Produced or Edited (Series) category during the 47th Annual Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards. It was one of two Emmys the Heat organization won, with their Inside the HEAT feature on Andy Elisburg, Miami's senior vice president of basketball operations and general manager, winning the other Regional Emmy Award.

Winning an Emmy is impressive, no matter who you are. But, with Max Strus winning the Golden Orthicon tube, he's now in rarified air: he's only the second active NBA player to win an Emmy. Los Angeles Lakers superstar and former Cavs forward LeBron James has won three Emmys in the last few years. In 2020, James won an Emmy in Outstanding Long Sports Documentaries as an executive producer of What's My Name? – Muhammed Ali Part 1. In 2021, meanwhile, James won an Emmy in Outstanding Edited Sports Series as an executive producer of The Shop: Uninterrupted. Finally, James won an Emmy in 2023 in Outstanding Long Documentaries as an executive producer of The Redeem Team.

So, even though Max Strus isn't sure what his red carpet fit will be if the Heat rolls it out for him, he's in a club exclusive to him and arguably the greatest player of all time. If you're Strus, that's not bad company to be with, and considering how many players are pursuing interests off the court, Strus winning the award is even more impressive.