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Heat’s Kel’el Ware responds to Erik Spoelstra putting him on blast

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints
By Julian Ojeda | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 12:05 PM ET

Miami Heat center Kel’el Ware delivered a dominant performance in response to recent public comments by head coach Erik Spoelstra questioning his professionalism and consistency.

Ware posted 21 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in 33 minutes during Miami’s 100-96 win over the Boston Celtics in the NBA 2K26 Summer League on Monday night. He shot 8-of-15 from the field and knocked down all three of his three-point attempts.

Following the game, Ware addressed Spoelstra’s remarks, framing them as constructive criticism that fueled his approach.

“I mean,” Ware said, “it all comes down to like Spo said, just putting in the effort, going out there and playing. That’s just what I wanted to show that I can do.”

“I just took it as motivation. Obviously, he’s the coach and he has that trust in me and he wants to see me be the best that I can be. So I took it as motivation.”

Kel’el Ware answers Erik Spoelstra’s challenge with dominant Summer League performance

Earlier in the day, Spoelstra had outlined what he believes Ware needs to focus on entering his second NBA season.

“The professionalism and consistency has to improve, and it is,” Spoelstra said. “Our standards are not going to change and our expectations of how fast we want that to improve for him are not going to change.”

“He’s got to take ownership of it and the other stuff will come along with that. That leads into the weight room, professionalism, consistency, approach every single day. He’s getting stronger and he is gaining weight. That’s a big part of his improvement is getting his body physically prepared and ready to handle the rigors of physical positioning and then there’s nuances of doing things defensively and playing stronger with more force offensively. We’re working on those things every single day.”

Ware, 21, was selected by the Heat with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. In his rookie campaign, he averaged 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game across 64 appearances, including 36 starts. He shot 55.4% from the field and 31.5% from three.

Monday’s performance against Boston marked Ware’s strongest outing of the summer and showcased his potential as a modern stretch big with defensive upside.

The Heat improved to 1-2 in Summer League action and will next face the Detroit Pistons (2-0) on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. ET. The game will air on NBA TV.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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