Inside The Heat

Shaquille O'Neal Drops Strong Endorsement For Miami Heat’s Kel’el Ware

Bryan Townes|
Apr 18, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware (7) controls a rebound against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Apr 18, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware (7) controls a rebound against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Miami Heat’s consistent ability to find talent in later draft picks continues to prove true, as they found another gem in Kel’el Ware.

For NBA on TNT’s halftime report, Shaquille O’Neal praised Ware for his perfect start to the game, leading to a nine-point Heat advantage.

“I said that Miami’s size would be a problem for the Hawks,” O’Neal said. “But, I thought the Hawks being at home would negate that. Trae is not playing well, and the others aren’t playing well. But listen, this guy right here, Ware, I don’t know why he wasn’t playing a lot more earlier in the season. He does everything Miami would want you to do. Offensive rebounds, physically demand the ball, and high percentage shots.”

In the Heat’s 123-114 overtime victory over the Hawks, Ware finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, and one block on 100 percent shooting. His seven-foot frame allowed him to excel easily in each possession where he received the ball in the paint.

Despite not missing a shot, Erik Spoelstra decided to limit his minutes in the second half in favor of smaller rotations with Bam Adebayo as the primary big man. This allowed the Heat to switch on the perimeter more often. Ware still has room to grow defensively before Spoelstra plays him in heavier minutes, but he has shown plenty of promise in reaching these expectations.

MIAMI HEAT’S DAVION MITCHELL SENDS BOLD MESSAGE AHEAD OF POSTSEASON BERTH

Regardless of how people define “Heat Culture”, nobody can say otherwise about Davion Mitchell being a perfect fit for the Miami Heat. 

After their 123-114 overtime victory against the Atlanta Hawks, Mitchell spoke with NBA on TNT about his impactful performance and the Heat’s confidence heading into the playoffs. 

“I just had to stay confident,” Mitchell explained. “I think in the beginning of the game, I was kinda trying to force things. And in the second half, I just let the game come to me. My teammates had confidence in me. They were swinging the ball. They told me to keep shooting the ball and keep being confident, and that’s what I did.”

“Just don’t count us out,” Mitchell said. “I mean, I feel like we went through a lot of adversity in the regular season. People counted us out, we lost 10 games in a row, became the tenth seed, and people didn’t really believe in us. But this is Heat Culture, so you can never count us out. We’re always going to be in the grind.”

Mitchell having the freedom to cause controlled chaos on both ends of the court significantly impacted the Heat’s ability to secure a victory. After a slow one-point first half, Mitchell finished with 16 points, three rebounds, and five assists on 38.5 percent shooting and 44.4 percent from three-point range.

LEBRON JAMES’S AGENT CLAIMS THERE WASN’T A “BIG 3” WITH MIAMI HEAT

Over a decade later, LeBron James’s four-year run with the Miami Heat remains among the greatest teams in the NBA's history.

The trio of James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh resulted in the Heat’s most successful run in franchise history. They won two championships and made four finals appearances. Before each season, they had the highest odds of winning a championship.

Bosh's great play and sacrifice were a significant reason for their impressive run. Despite arguably being a top-10 player in the league while on the Toronto Raptors, Bosh took a diminished role on the Heat as the third option behind James and Wade. He averaged 17.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists on 51 percent shooting and 30.2 percent from three-point range.

In an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Rich Paul explained why Bosh's relegation to a role player with the Heat is why he doesn’t consider them a big three.

“I always love a big two,” Paul said. “I don’t really love a big three. People talk big three, but the big three thing has never really worked. And you’ll say, well, what happened in Miami? That wasn’t really a big three. There were three guys that went in the lottery, and they did really well individually on their teams, so they put up big numbers and had big accomplishments. But when you think about it, Bosh was the ultimate professional. He took a back seat and played a role in which, because he had such a high IQ and was such a professional as an individual, his approach to everything is what made that work.”

Bryan Townes is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at btownesjr@gmail.com or on X @bryantownesjr11. Follow our coverage on Facebook

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Bryan Townes
BRYAN TOWNES

Bryan attended Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia with a focus on sports management. While he didn't grow up an NBA fan, he became one after playing the popular NBA2K video game. From Jimmy Butler to Ray Allen to Chris Bosh, Bryan has followed the Heat for the past several years.

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