Erik Spoelstra made headlines when he singled out Kel'el Ware's professionalism as an issue following the 21-year-old's summer-league struggles. Though the head coach's intentions are seemingly pure, this is the type of callout that can begin eroding the relationship between the Miami Heat and the player they deemed too valuable to trade for Kevin Durant.
As it turns out, though, Ware is taking Spoelstra's comments in stride, telling reporters that he's using them as "motivation" rather than fuel for a grudge. The importance of this response cannot be overstated—not even a little bit.
Kelel Ware on Coach Spo calling out his professionalism
“I took it as motivation.