Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra Reflects On Time With Caleb Martin Before Return To Miami

Anthony Pasciolla | 6 Hours Ago

Nov 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Caleb Martin (16) controls the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The Miami Heat are facing off against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday evening, which features the return of Caleb Martin.

Martin spent three seasons with the Heat before signing with the Sixers this summer. He's not off to the strongest start in Philadelphia, but being a healthy part of the lineup is all coach Nick Nurse can ask for right now. The Heat is where Martin went from an under the radar forward to a crucial piece of an NBA Finals roster.

He did so under Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who spoke about his relationship with Martin before Monday's game.

"I love Caleb, and I'll always root for him," Spoelstra began. "I really respect him and love him for who he is, how he represents himself, how he is off the court, all those kinds of qualities." His story is just so unlikely, but we pride ourselves in unlikely, and some of my favorite memories would obviously would be the Eastern Conference Finals against Boston... but he's a competitor through and through, and you want to go to battle with those kinds of guys."

"All that gets thrown out the window tonight, but outside of that, that's a relationship that will transcend these teams and careers. "We'll be sharing a cold one years from now," Spoelstra concluded.

76ers-Heat tips off at 7:30 ET, where an injury-filled matchup could help Philadelphia land their third victory of the season.

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Anthony Pasciolla works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at ampasciolla@gmail.com or follow him on X @AnthonyPasci.