NBA fans saw what might have been a major upset to many, especially Celtics fans, on Monday night as the Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals. The game — and the whole series — made somewhat of a new hero and breakout star of guard Caleb Martin.
Who is Caleb Martin?
In Game 7, the North Carolina native scored 26 points with 10 rebounds to help his team beat the Celtics 103-84 and advance to the NBA Finals.
The team will play against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Martin attended Oak Hill Academy in Virginia after his time at North Carolina State where he began his college career in 2014 ,playing two seasons. He would also later transfer to Nevada.
OSDBSports reported that Martin led the Nevada Wolf Pack to a regular season conference championship and a Top 25 ranking.
He has a twin brother named Cody that he played with in college, and who was selected by the Charlotte Hornets. Martin and his brother later led the Wolf Pack in the 2018 NCAA Tournament to the Sweet 16 after double digit scoring triumphs over Cincinnati and Texas.
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Martin's NBA draft
After Martin was not drafted in 2019, he signed with the Hornets as well as a free agent, then he later separated from the team before the 2021 season began.
Sports Forecaster called Martin a well-rounded wing player with a solid scoring record. The analysis called him a solid player but didn't have one standout role, but this NBA Finals may be the beginning of proving that assessment wrong.
In 2021 Martin signed a two-way contract with the Miami Heat and went on to play 60 games with the team, averaging 9.2 points and earning a three-year $20 million deal with his success.
Up next for the Heat
Game 1 of the NBA FInals begins on Thu., June 1 at 8:30 p.m ET. The Denver Nuggets are led by 2-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.
The game can be watched on ABC or by downloadingthe NBA app.
Game 2 will take place on Sun., June 4 at 8 p.m. with Game 3 scheduled for Wed. June 7 and Game 4 on Fri., June 9 at 8:30 p.m. and 3 other games scheduled to follow if necessary.
