Here’s How J. Cole Helped Caleb Martin Make The Miami Heat Roster

Armon Sadler
·2 min read
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Caleb Martin has emerged as a key piece of the Miami Heat roster in their current NBA Finals push, but he may not have been here without J. Cole. The 27-year-old recently explained the role that the “My Life” artist played in his getting signed to the Eastern Conference champions.

Martin recently spoke with ESPN, revealing that he and the Dreamville head honcho’s friendship dates back to 2014. The forward was attending North Carolina State at the time, and Cole would play pickup basketball games on campus. Through their interactions, they developed a close friendship.

Martin went on to pursue a career in the NBA, going undrafted in the 2019 draft and eventually signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Charlotte Hornets. He was later waived by the Hornets in August 2021 and pondered how he could remain in the league. In comes J. Cole, who had a relationship with former NBA player and current Miami Heat assistant coach Caron Butler, calling him to advocate for Martin.

“It’s everything, man. He’s got a million things going on. He could be doing a million things,” Martin said about J. Cole’s phone call which secured him an exclusive workout with the Miami Heat and, later, a spot on the roster. “But that also just shows you that it’s bigger than basketball. That’s my guy. He keeps up with every game. He’s hitting me up just like my family’s hitting me up.”

“There are certain people that when they call you about particular people, the message and the favor is a little louder than others,” Butler said about Cole’s phone call. “It was just one of those things where I was like, ‘Damn, he actually called me about this kid,’ and he’s like, ‘Yo, seriously, he needs that [opportunity].’ It’s not the first time he called me about a guy. He had asked me about Dennis Smith Jr. before, too.”

Now, Martin is just four wins away from his first NBA Championship after an impressive performance against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat will take on the Denver Nuggets, who have been resting ever since their four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Game 1 tips off on Thursday evening (June 1).

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