NBA FINALS: HEAT VS. NUGGETS

May 31, 2023

Caleb Martin

Miami Heat

Media Day

Q. Everyone talks about Spo as a great tactician, X's and O's guy, but what's he been as a motivator and leader for you personally?

CALEB MARTIN: Man, he's been huge in motivating us and just getting us right mentally. You can definitely tell he works on himself in the mental aspect. He studies that and he betters himself and he takes pride in that, and to be able to relay those messages in the way they're relayed to us has been super important to us, and how prepared we are not only physically but mentally.

Q. You're coming off a series against Boston, there was so much drive and kick, and especially when you guys are in the zone now, what do you have to adjust for, awareness-wise, when they can just go over the top rather than having to go through you?

CALEB MARTIN: Yes, they're a unique team. They've got a lot of different ways of scoring, putting the ball in the hoop, and they share the ball. You can tell they really love playing together, and I think that's what's so important and that's gotten them to this point, and I think that's what makes them special is they share the ball and they score and put the ball in the hole in multiple ways.

We definitely have to figure out different type of plans. I'm sure we'll adjust a lot on the fly to figure out how to keep that ball away from the rim, but they've got one of the best players in the league, and we'll just have to figure it out.

Q. When you had those G League stints in Greensboro and Sioux Falls, how did you keep the NBA dream alive, and now that you're here do you think those experiences help you appreciate this even more?

CALEB MARTIN: Yeah, I think the G League has improved tremendously. I think they do a great job even promoting the guys that are playing there. Luckily enough when I was playing there, especially in Greensboro, I was on NBA assignment. So, I had the luxury of being able to play heavy minutes and get plays and get shots.

But it really got me better just playing and learning how to play and being in a different environments and positions. And just the talent that's in the G League is so overlooked. There's so many people that can play at an NBA level at any given night and play very well and contribute to a winning team.

I just think the talent aspect and the preparation that it takes to play well, even in the G League, definitely helps you get to this point.

Q. When the leader of your team, okay, he was drafted, but drafted 30th. Can you kind of relate to that, your group of undrafted players, that your leader in a way went through that?

CALEB MARTIN: For sure. I talk about that all the time. We've got the leader, the head of the snake of our team, got drafted 30th. He wasn't a lottery pick or anything like that. His path to get to where he is is very similar to a lot of ours. He was very overlooked coming up, even through high school and college and those type of things. He didn't have all the five stars and all the Kentuckys and Carolinas going after him.

Looking at a guy like that, he definitely gives you hope, and also just puts it in perspective that it's about the long game; it's not about having everything at once. It might take some people two, three years, might take some people nine years. But just sticking with it and continuing to perfect your craft can put you in a great position.

Q. What's it been like for you since Game 7? Bam made the comment up there on the podium the other day that you had made a name for yourself. I'm curious what the attention has been like on you the last couple days?

CALEB MARTIN: Yeah, it's definitely been a little different for sure, getting recognition or attention.

But I feel like more often than not right now, this is a time that I kind of stay away from social media, especially when you're this close to -- you're four games away from being a champion, I think this is the most important time to stay locked in, stay focused. But this is what comes with it, whenever you're winning and you're moving on, this stuff.

So, it's great publicity and I'm very grateful and appreciative that even Bam, guys like that, are saying that I've made a name for myself because that's the whole reason I've been trying to prove myself since I've been in the league. But it's one thing to do it once for a series or whatever, and it's another thing to stay consistent.

Q. I know your brother wasn't at the last game, but what was his words to you afterwards, and do we expect him to -- do you expect him to come to most of the Finals games? Along with his messages to you, I don't know if it's J. Cole or whatever, what other messages did you get after the game?

CALEB MARTIN: I got a ton of messages from my people, man. Some messages I can't really say on here, but it's all been positive and supportive.

He's definitely going to come. He's going to come here and he's going to make sure he's in town and make sure he comes to see me play.

But all my people hit me up, just congratulating me, but that's how I know my people understand and they want me to get four more just because -- just as hyped as they are right now, they're trying to keep me focused saying, we've got four more. Stay focused for four more. So got one more round to try to get to where we're trying to get, but my people couldn't be happier right now.

Q. Did J. Cole reach out?

CALEB MARTIN: He called me before I got undressed.

Q. What did he say, and is he coming?

CALEB MARTIN: I don't know if he's -- he's definitely going to be at some games for sure. I already talked to him about that. I don't know which ones yet, but yeah, he called me before I got undressed after Game 7. Just hyped, just screaming, just jumping up and down. That's like my brother.

He was just as hyped as my family was. He's one of the first people that called me. Yeah, man, that's my dog. He's super proud, super appreciative, and couldn't be happier.

Q. You came here after you played the Play-In tournament. What do you think was the principal change in that moment when the postseason started, when you won the Play-In and now that you are in the Finals? What was the principal change of the team that was so big for all of us?

CALEB MARTIN: I think just getting our foot in the door. I think that was the biggest thing for us. We just knew we had a gear, and once we got into the Playoffs, it was kind of a relief. Now we could just focus on playing. We just knew we liked our chances pretty much with anybody, knowing that it was the first team to four.

It's different when it's like the NCAA Tournament and the play-in. We had two chances, but other teams had one chance. After losing that first one, we knew it was the only chance we had to get into the Playoffs. Once we finally got in, we could take a deep breath, get back to focusing on just playing, and knowing that a team had to beat us four times, and it was going to be tough.

Q. Experience is key at this stage in the NBA Finals, of course, and you have a lot of players with a lot of experience in your team, like Kyle Lowry, Jimmy, of course, Kevin Love, Coach Spoelstra. What have you learned from them in this road to the Finals?

CALEB MARTIN: I think most importantly, what I learned from them is after the losses, because I'm so used to getting down on myself. It's kind of like a college mentality where I've kind of had to learn from that where you get so mad and get so down on yourself, beat yourself up about losses, and I kind of look at the way those guys operate after losses, and not that they don't care, but they understand it's a series. It's multiple games, it's not just one game.

They also understand how quick the turnaround is for the next one, to be able to come in with the right mindset that you kind of let things, leave them in the rear view. So, I've been trying to learn that and I think I've matured in that aspect just from being around those guys. So, I think that's really important for me and the growth of my game so far.