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Miami Heat legend and Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade offered strong words of advice for second-year center Kel’el Ware following recent comments made by head coach Erik Spoelstra calling for greater professionalism and consistency from the young big man.
Speaking on the latest episode of his show Wy Network, Wade emphasized the importance of trusting Spoelstra’s guidance and urged Ware to embrace the developmental process.
“He’s gotta buy in and that’s hard,” Wade said. “It’s hard at first, but if he just understands that if he buys in he’s going to be great. He’s going to be great, just buy into greatness.”
Wade pointed to Spoelstra’s résumé and credibility as one of the NBA’s most accomplished head coaches.
“Spo’s been around greats. He’s coached Hall of Famers. Spo been on the championships, he’s been in the fox hole,” Wade continued. “If you want to listen to anybody you listen to Spo. If young fella want to be great, buy in. Buy into what they selling.”
Dwyane Wade response on Coach Spo calling out Kelel Ware
“He’s coached Hall of Famers. Spo been on the championships, he’s been in the fox hole. If you want to listen to anybody you listen to Spo. If young fella want to be great, buy in. Buy into what they sellin”
(Via… pic.twitter.com/BieSGVQScd
— Heat Culture (@HeatCulture13) July 15, 2025
Dwayne Wade backs Erik Spoelstra as Kel’el Ware responds with strong Summer League outing
Wade’s comments come on the heels of Spoelstra’s candid assessment of Ware’s current trajectory earlier this week. Spoelstra noted that while Ware has made strides, the organization expects more rapid growth in key areas.
“The professionalism and consistency has to improve, and it is,” Spoelstra said Monday during NBA 2K26 Summer League action in Las Vegas. “Our standards are not going to change and our expectations of how fast we want that to improve for him are not going to change.”
Spoelstra emphasized Ware’s need to take ownership of his development, particularly in the weight room and with daily habits.
“He’s getting stronger and he is gaining weight. That’s a big part of his improvement — getting his body physically prepared and ready to handle the rigors of physical positioning,” Spoelstra added. “Then there’s the nuances of doing things defensively and playing stronger with more force offensively. We’re working on those things every single day.”
Ware, 21, was selected No. 15 overall by the Miami Heat in the 2024 NBA Draft. In his rookie season, he averaged 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game across 64 appearances, including 36 starts. He shot 55.4% from the field and 31.5% from three-point range.
Ware responded to Spoelstra’s public remarks with an impressive showing in the Heat’s 100-96 Summer League win over the Boston Celtics on Monday. He finished the game with 21 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block while shooting 8-of-15 from the field and 3-of-3 from beyond the arc in 33 minutes.
The Miami Heat (1-2) will continue their Summer League schedule with a matchup against the Detroit Pistons (2-0) on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. ET, airing on NBA TV.
