The Miami Heat have thoroughly enjoyed the progression of Caleb Martin in his first year with the team. While fans are getting more familiar with their offseason acquisition, one thing they'll be interested to know is that the forward has a close connection to J. Cole, who was actually influential in his decision to join the Heat. Roderick Bourne of The Charlotte Observer spoke with both Caleb and Cody Martin, as well as their trainer Omar Khanani, who detailed how the deal went down, and the role the Charlotte rapper played.
According to Khanani, after Martin was let go by the Hornets, he got to work training while seeking his next NBA opportunity. J. Cole, who owns a private basketball gym which he allows local players to train in, saw Martin putting in work, and was impressed. Cole, using his connections as one of the biggest rappers on the globe, got in contact with Heat assistant coach Caron Butler, giving him the lowdown on how he thought Martin would be a great addition for the team.
“He had reached out to me and told me he had a very, very talented guy that was just wrecking shop up here in North Carolina and he had just got released from the Hornets,” Butler told The Charlotte Observer. “Obviously, we were still trying to improve on our talent. [J. Cole] reached out to me and I just invited [Martin] to an open scrimmage in the summer and from that point on he really earned his way on. But J. Cole having the foresight in knowing Caleb can come and help a contending team was just amazing.”
After impressing at the open scrimmage, which reportedly included a handful of Miami Heat players, Martin earned himself a two-way contract, which was converted to a guaranteed contract in February. Since joining the Heat, Martin has averaged 9.2 points and 4.0 rebounds, while shooting at a 37% clip from 3-point territory.
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