Caleb Martin may not have won the NBA Eastern Conference finals MVP award, but he was certainly one of the most critical contributors to the Heat’s series victory against the Celtics.
Following another strong showing in Game 7, in which he helped Miami clinch the seventh NBA Finals berth in franchise history, Martin told reporters that he received a celebratory phone call from a big-time rapper.
Martin revealed that one of the first people to call him after the Game 7 victory in Boston was none other than J. Cole, a close friend of the 27-year-old.
“He called me before I got undressed,” said Martin, who also stated that he expects the hip-hop star to attend some NBA Finals games.
"That's like my brother so he was just as hyped as my family was."
— NBA (@NBA) May 31, 2023
Caleb Martin on his phone call with @JColeNC following Game 7 🔊#NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV
Media Availability Game 1: Thursday, 6/1, 8:30pm/et, ABC pic.twitter.com/Aoc122zT32
“He called me before I got undressed after Game 7. Just hype, just screaming, jumping up and down. That’s like my brother. You know, he was just as hype as my family was,” Martin said.
Back in 2021, Cole gave Martin a big assist of his own by helping him land with the Heat. Cole, who had spent much of the summer working out and playing basketball with Martin, urged Miami assistant coach Caron Butler to give Martin a workout.
Martin impressed enough to land a roster spot with the team, which subsequently signed him to a three-year, $20 million deal.
During the Heat’s Eastern Conference finals win, Martin averaged 19.3 points on a remarkable 48.9% clip from three-point range. He poured in 26 points in the pivotal Game 7
