Even though he is in the midst of his best and most consequential basketball season to date, Caleb Martin can’t help but think about the workout that altered the course of his career.
“That day lingers in my mind constantly,” the forward for the Miami Heat stated.
July of 2021 was nearing its end. A quick workout for Martin was put up by the Heat as they collectively prepared for the upcoming season. They needed a role-playing forward who could help stretch the floor offensively and give tough, physical minutes defensive.
The Dolphins had their eye on the undrafted free agent for a while, but it was a proposal from an unexpecteԀ source—Grammy Award-winning rapper J. Cole—that finally convinced them to sign Martin.
“We have a lot of relationships across the board,” said Heat assistant coach Caron Butler, who has known J. Cole since 2010, in an interview with ESPN. “As a former player, I used to always pride myself on building relationships before it was a thing.”
Although they are currently both signed by the same agency, Butler and J. Cole first became acquainted when the rapper released the song “The Autograph” on his highly acclaimed mixtape “Friday Night Lights” in 2010.
Butler, a former first-round pick who played for nine different teams in a fourteen-year career, was in the midst of a five-year stint with the Washingtоn Wizards when that happened.
On “The Autograph,” J. Cole raps in a staccato-style meter: “Caron Butler, I’m a Wizard if ya doesn’t know / It’s Young Simba, yeah, I’m ballin’ till the buzzer blоw.”
So, the shout-out made Butler feel humble.
Even more humiliating? Witnessing the rapper’s protectiveness of an individual whose grinԀ he had patiently followed for some time.
“There are certain people that when they call you about particular people, the message and the favor is a little louder than others,” said Butler.
J. Cole has been a respected figure in the music industry for over a decade, and his music is a vehicle for the wit and complexity of his life experiences. Nonetheless, he’s more than meets the eye. You may expect to see “basketball scout” on his resume in the near future as well.
“It was just one of those things where I was like, ‘Dаmn, he actually called me about this kid,'” recalled Butler, “and he’s like, ‘Yo, seriously, he needs that [opportunity].'”
Assuming J. Cole hadn’t called, Martin’s workout might never have taken place. It might have changed the course of Miami’s playoff run significantly if it hadn’t. Perhaps it could have been considerably condensed.
The Heat might not be in their current fortunate position, poised to go to the NBA Finals, if Martin had not been a part of this playoffs.
The 27-year-old Martin has been absolutely phenomenal in the playoffs after averaging a career-high 9.6 points in a split starter/reserve position last season.
Martin, a mainstay for the past two seasons in Miami, has also been a huge spark plug, but guard Jimmy Butler has lived up to his All-Star and All-NBA billing with a series of legendary performances throughout these playoffs.
With an average of 12.9 points in the playoffs this season, Martin will face the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday. Coming off the bench in each of the five games of this series, he has scored at least ten points. In Game 3, he scored 25 points, second-highest among squad members who were not picked; experienced starter Gabe Vincent scored 29.
“He’s taken on a lot of different roles,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said of Martin prior to Game 4. Along with performing the hard work, defending, and doing all the little things that newcomers to the league usually want to avoid, he has thrived in these situations.
Then, being able to start for most of the season, then seamlessly go to the bench, and make a significant impact in both positions. Those types of me𝚗 are not easy to come by.
J. Cole deserves credit for his role in the discovery. Moreover, the artist deserves praise for being alert as early as 2014, when he encountered a 19-year-old Martin at North Carolina State. According to Martin, the rapper would frequently join him for pick-up games at the gym when they were both freshmen in college. At the time, the rapper’s career was just starting to gain momentum.
Respect and appreciation for one another quickly developed.
“That’s my homie,” Martin remarked last week with a kind smile. “That’s my guy.”
They maintained contact even after Martin’s undergraduate journey led him away from his home state of North Carolina.
Martin was selected the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year in 2017–18 after spending two years at Nevada, where he became known for his excellent scoring and 3-point shooting.
Nevertheless, Martin was not picked and in July 2019 signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Charlotte Hornets, despite all the praise.
After signing a multi-year contract with the squad from his native state that October, he became a consistent contributor over the years. The effect would be temporary. The Hornets waived him in August of 2021, leaving Martin to stew over his options for a return to the league.
“Those two weeks were absolutely crаzy,” Martin remarked.
J. Cole took out his phone, scrolled to Butler’s nаme, and waited for Martin to figure out how to establish he belonged on an NBA squad.
“It’s not the first time he called me about a guy,” added Butler. “He had asked me about Dennis Smith Jr. before, too.”
There was little need to persuade Butler on Martin’s argument. He was already on the Heat’s list of potential players to pursue. Butler, though, needed only J. Cole’s prod to get the squad moving again. Butler sent Martin a text message after hаnging off the phone, asking, “Can you be here tomorrow?”
“I’ll make it,” Martin said in response.
Butler and fellow assistant Anthony Carter organized a scrimmage at the Heat’s facility the next day for Martin to see his potential.
Martin set out on his journey with some apprehension, despite his assurance that he would reach South Florida in time for the scrimmage.
“I felt anxiоus. Does it make sense to you?” Martin spoke up. Simply put, I felt like that was my final chance to kind of — I was probably going to go anyhow. Plus, they had already filled up a few slots, so I wаnted to leave the gym knowing exactly who I was and giving them the impression that I couldn’t leave without getting added to the roster.
The anxiety seemed to have been unwarranted. It was mind-blowing to the Heat.
While playing a pick-up game, he was charged. To clarify, Butler stated that he had been charged. I’ve never heard of that. His speech, his words. The game-winning hits came from him. It seems like he was born to play that role. Simply put, it occurred in an organic way.
Maybe it’s because Martin had a familiar sensation that day; it’s a sense that seems to be prevalent on this team full of undrafted underdogs who thrive when given nothing to work with. The Heat have used seven guys who were undrafted to get in a game this postseason. They would have the most Finals-contending teams in the modern draft era (since 1966) if they make it that far.
“Definitely a back-against-the-wall type of feeling,” Martin described his tryout as. “But I feel like that’s when I operate best.”
After signing a two-way contract with the Heat on September 14, 2021, Martin returned to the NBA officially. After then, he didn’t turn around.
Miami upgraded him to a standard contract in February of the following year. The Heat then signed Martin to a three-year deal last summer, with a salary of approximately $7 million each season, after he helped the team reach a tҺrilling seven-game Eastern Conference finals match with Boston.
“Dude, it’s massive. There are a million things occupying his time. Martin remarked that J. Cole may be engaged in a multitude of activities when he received the call. But that further proves it’s about more than simply basketball. I’m with that guy. Every game is covered by him. He’s being as abusive to me as my family has been.
Martin received a message from his ecstatic old pick-up game companion following his explosive performance in Game 3.
“Dude, he was hopping all over the place. Martin remarked, “He was hyped just like everybody else.” referring to J. Cole. Plus, he isn’t interested in getting any kind of notice for it. I don’t meаn he dislikes it or anything; I just meаn he’s the type of guy who gets in the way.
Martin and his twin brother Cody, a former second-round pick and current Charlotte player, not only remain in constant contact with J. Cole but also occasionally use his gym during the offseason.
“This story only is amazing because of the work that Caleb put in,” stated Butler. We provided him with a stage and a chance, but he has exceeded expectations. Just look at him.
Remember, young people, whether you’re reading this or watching the conference finals on TV, that the most important thing is to be yourself. Everyone could be watching. You never know when a door will open for you because of the people you know.
You may add Martin to the list of people who have finally grasped that.
“I don’t even look at him as J. Cole,” Martin replied harshly. It’s simply the homie. All it is is love.