The face of Miami's new rotation is straight from Heat lore

Erik Spoelstra was in his 20s when he was working as a video coordinator for the Miami Heat -- younger than most of the core players on that team.

Those players included a guard/forward that the Heat had taken from the Phoenix Suns, someone with the nickname "Thunder Dan" but whose was less thunder than he used to be. By the time Dan Majerle arrived in Miami, his knees weren't in the best condition, as he couldn't get above the rim much anymore.

But he could shoot from deep and mostly, he could compete intelligently, the ultimate glue guy on a squad led by Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway, playing scrappy physical defense and moving the ball.

So it was interesting to hear Spoelstra -- now in his 50s and the longest-tenured head coach in professional sports -- summon Majerle's name after the Heat's rout of Atlanta on Friday night, picking up on a comparison that the elder fans and podcasters (like myself) have already made.

In speaking of second-year man Pelle Larsson, and Larsson's propensity to hit the floor when the ball isn't hitting his face, Spoelstra smiled: "He'll put his jaw in harm's way and try to make a winning play for the team. Dan Majerle was a lot like that. Some of the things he does are very similar."

Spo on @DidPelleGetHit: "I've heard about people charting it because of one of my pressers... he'll put his jaw in harms way to try & make a winning play for the team... Dan Majerle was a lot like that. Some of the things he does are very similar." pic.twitter.com/N6SjjlT6GJ
— Naveen Ganglani (@naveenganglani) February 21, 2026

And yes, back in the day, there might have been Twitter accounts dedicated to Majerle, had Twitter existed.

Majerle was popular even without it; many wore his No. 9 jersey at the time, a jersey number that appropriately enough, Larsson has inherited.

Twitter does exist now, and Larsson's propensity as a ball and floor magnet has earned him a tribute account, @DidPelleGetHit, of which Spoelstra is apparently aware, even though he claims never to check social media.

That account can't really go a day without tweeting, at least not a day in which Larsson plays. Friday, he took an elbow to the face from Jalen Johnson. Saturday against Memphis as the Heat return home, he will likely take another from someone. It is what he does -- or rather what he is always in position for someone to do to him.

YES pic.twitter.com/hchCZ8Y9g0
— Did Pelle get hit in the face? (@DidPelleGetHit) February 21, 2026

Larsson isn't just a crash dummy gimmick, however. He's been one of the Heat's most important players this season. The Heat have a far better record when he starts, so it was significant and smart that Spoelstra kept him in the lineup even with Tyler Herro returning from another lengthy absence Friday. Larsson led the Heat in minutes with 31, He made six of nine shots, with 12 points, six rebounds and two steals and was a plus-16.

Even more interestingly, he was kept on the floor in the first and third quarters when the rest of the starters subbed out, to anchor the strong second unit of Herro, Kasparas Jakucionis, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kel'el Ware. Then when the starters returned, Jaquez Jr. stayed out there, as Larsson rested.

In a season in which it's been difficult for Spoelstra to find rotations that make sense, in part because of injuries but also inconsistency -- and maybe a little of his own stubbornness -- this one makes a lot of it. Larsson is a perfect lubricant to help the second unit run smoothly, just as Majerle was for many lineups back in the day. He makes plays without getting in the way. And Jaquez Jr. fits well with the first group.

Will Spoelstra stick with it? We'll see. He may be inclined to put Herro back in the starting group, due to pedigree, and see if the pairing with Norman Powell can work for longer stretches. But Herro is a former Sixth Man of the Year who is elite in that role, as his 24 efficient points Friday again showed.

And Larsson seems in the perfect spot now -- on the floor, bruised face and all, bringing the Thunder at the start.