MIAMI – As the Miami Heat face the Philadelphia 76ers Monday night, it will be a bittersweet reunion for one player on the opposing team in Caleb Martin. The former Heat star went to the 76ers in free agency this past offseason as right before the game, head coach Erik Spoelstra reflects on the impact he had with the team.
Martin had been in Miami from 2021 to 2024, where he made his mark on the team, being a productive two-way weapon on the bench or starting when the team needed him to. Spoelstra would not hesitate in sharing his “love” for Martin as he spoke highly of him before Monday’s game.
“I love Caleb, and I’ll always root for him,” Spoelstra said. “I really respect him, and I love him for who he is, how he represents himself, who he is as a competitor, and how he is off the court, all those kind of qualities, he just really draws you in. And his story is just so unlikely, but we pride ourselves in unlikely.”
Heat’s Erik Spoelstra on how relationship with Caleb Martin “transcends”
There is no doubt that the contract situation between the Heat and Martin was a confusing one as the forward left to go to the 76ers for less money as he decided to test the waters in free agency.
However, he has had a plethora of memories with Miami as even Spoelstra mentions the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, where he was electric, even being just one vote away from being MVP of that series. Spoelstra would say that it doesn’t matter what teams they are a part of as their relationship “transcends” those aspects.
“And, you know, some of my favorite memories obviously, would be the Eastern Conference Finals against Boston,” Spoelstra said. “They played him that way the year before with their centers, and I think he just put up a massive size rock in his shoe for an entire year, like thinking about them, just praying that he would get another opportunity to play against them. But he’s a competitor, through and through, all the way into his soul, and you want to go battle with those kind of guys.”
“So obviously you root for him like he knows what I’m about, I know what he’s about,” Spoelstra continued. “Like all that gets thrown out the window tonight, but you know, outside of that, that’s a relationship that will transcend just these teams, he’ll transcend the careers, all of those things. You know, we’ll be sharing a cold one years from now.”
Former star Caleb Martin expresses how much the Heat means to him
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As Spoelstra said, that relationship doesn’t matter once the ball is tipped off any time the Heat face the 76ers, as it even is the same with point guard Kyle Lowry, who also was a huge part of Miami. Martin would speak Sunday about his time with the team, saying he had “unforgettable memories” and expressing how greatly the franchise means to him, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
“It’s bittersweet, for sure,” Martin said. “Obviously, I had a lot of great memories here, unforgettable memories. I still got lifelong relationships that I still have with guys. This is my second home.”
“Man, everything,” Martin continued on what the Heat organization means to him personally. “To me, it’s just the cornerstone of how I made a name for myself and who I became as a player. The relationships and the memories, it’s an unforgettable place for me.”
At any rate, the Heat are 5-7 heading into Monday’s game against the 76ers.
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