Kel’el Ware shares a bond with Udonis Haslem despite the Heat’s withdrawal

MIAMI – With The Miami Heat’s rebounding cost the team gamesas some see it Kel’el Ware to give that aspect of the game a boost, he gets some key behind-the-scenes advice. Heat legend Udonis Haslem would share a conversation he had with Vera after Friday’s loss to the New York Knicks, as the young star revealed what it’s like to communicate with him.

Haslem was on the Amazon Prime broadcast of the NBA Cup game, saying he texted Ware that he would get all his film against Mitchell Robinson and seeing how efficiently he gets the boardsespecially on the offensive side of the ball. Ware is no doubt seen as a cornerstone of Miami with his impressive traits and the mark he had on the game in his rookie season, although currently in his second, it has been up and down.

Although a starter, the results are average, averaging 10.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, while shooting 52.4 percent from the field. Speaking to ClutchPoints in an exclusive one-on-one interview, Ware talked about taking Haslem’s advice, citing him not only as someone to look up to, but also as a player who boasts the most rebounds in franchise history.

“I mean, it’s good, you know, to always have most people in my corner, you know, especially UD, who’s somebody who hangs on the bounce. After every game, he texts me and just listens to what he has to say. And I actually buy into that and want to get better myself,” Ware said.

The warmth Erik Spoelstra on Kel’el Vare “stacking good days”

Despite that Ware’s inconsistent start to the Heat seasonthere’s no denying the talent that lies within the 22-year-old, who serves as an athletic seven-footer who runs the floor quickly while possessing real tools on the offensive end. Still, the activity on the glass is ongoing, getting help from Miami’s best rebounder, and helping a mentor like Haslem, as he did for Capt. Bam Adebayo.

“You respect someone who is so selfless,” Adebayo told ClutchPoints on Sunday. “He’s doing something completely different on the air and he’s still texting the guys, telling them what he’s seeing and trying to still influence our culture.”

Head coach Erik Spoelstra had no doubt that Ware was the best version of himself, challenging him at every turn, knowing there was a star to unlock. Before Monday’s game against the Knicks, Spoelstra would talk about Haslem being a mentor to the team and how Ware has been “a stack of good days.”

“He just continues to be a great mentor, he pours his energy into these guys, he just wants to see them succeed,” Spoelstra said/ “That’s a great thing. Even though he’s working, you know, with Prime and he’s got a busy schedule, he’s still invested in everything we do. And he wants to help and he wants to use that, and for them all to be a good resource. days That doesn’t mean it’s going to guarantee, like you’re playing well, but my experience is that you keep putting those days together, eventually it comes breakthrough.

Erik Spoelstra was asked about Udonis Haslem mentoring Kel’el Ware, as the Heat legend mentioned on Prime:

“He just continues to be a great mentor…even though he’s working with Prime…he’s still investing…Kel’el has been making good days…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/1Ks6rkKsiOeI

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) November 17, 2025

Heat’s Kel’el Ware on motivation to rebound better

With Heat in sports its new offensethere’s no denying that Ware fits the fast-paced style, making his traits even more valuable to the team, especially as he gives them size. Still, the team wants to see a game-winning performance from Ware, especially on the glass, though it’s a team effort and not entirely the fault of Ware, with Adebayo out with a toe injury.

Ware would tell ClutchPoints that there is motivation for Miami to get better in that area, but he has the right mindset to leave “the past in the past.”

“I mean, of course, I feel as a team, you want to win every game anyway. So I want to say extra motivation, you have to go out there, do what we do,” Ware said. “Because, I mean, it’s the NBA, you know, you’ve got a game really, every other day. So you’ve got to focus on the next game that comes up and just put the past in the past.”

“It’s something the whole team has to work on,” Ware continued on the rebounds. “We’re working on it every day, you know, just trying to get better, improve our rebounding position and allow offensive rebounds in the game,” Ware continued.

The Heat are working to improve on allowing the most second-chance points in the NBA at 20.1, as well as having the third-worst defensive rebounding percentage in the league, which is the percentage of available defensive rebounds the team gets, at 66.1 percent. Either way, Ware is going through the typical life of a young NBA player, with the next step being to learn from his mistakes, and the payoff is likely huge for Miami.