Kelly Olynyk isn’t letting a past on-court incident get in the way of him assimilating well with this new team, the Miami Heat. According to Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald, the former Boston Celtics big man has seemingly forgiven Hassan Whiteside a long time ago after Olynyk received a forearm shiver to his neck from Whiteside in a game way back in 2015. He even offered some advice to Whiteside:
“I just told him, he’s a great player and he’s got superb upside and talent ‘Don’t let emotions or a temper whatever it is, don’t let that hold you back and prevent you from being great,'” said Olynyk, who finalized a four-year, $50 million deal with the Heat on Friday and spoke to Heat beat writers by phone late in the evening.
These words from Olynyk, who just signed a $50 million, four-year contract with the Heat, clearly shows his level of professionalism and maturity as a basketball player, choosing to take the high road and nipping any issues in the bud instead of letting out a vague answer the media could’ve easily spun, causing unnecessary awkwardness to the team.
In four years so far in the NBA, Olynyk is averaging 9.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. He’s projected to be a backup for Whiteside, albeit one that affords the Heat a different look at the center position due to his range. The Gonzaga Bulldogs product is a decent 36.8 percent shooter from beyond the arc.
He’s yet to bury a three in Heat uniform, but he’s already buried one hatchet and that’s one good news for the team.
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