Kel’el Ware and Michael Jordan (Image source: X/ Bally Sports Sun and Getty images)
The Heat have a history of making the most of their mid-first-round selections, and this year they picked Kel’el Ware at No.15 in the NBA Draft. The rookie recently stirred controversy even before starting his NBA career by snubbing Michael Jordan from his NBA Mount Rushmore.
Ware shared his NBA Mount Rushmore during a recent appearance on ‘Miami Mic’d Up’ with Jeremy Chandler Tche. Unexpectedly, the rookie’s list did not include Michael Jordan.
Kel’el Ware (@KelelWare) names his NBA Mount Rushmore on ‘Miami Mic’d Up’ with @jeremytache:
• Wilt Chamberlain
• Kobe Bryant
• Anthony Edwards
• Bam Adebayo (@Bam1of1)Gotta love rookies… 😂
Full podcast 🎧 https://t.co/jKUZGw12Vk pic.twitter.com/VSMbk9jSWY
— Bally Sports Sun: HEAT (@BallyHEAT) July 3, 2024
Instead, Ware named Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Anthony Edwards, and Bam Adebayo as his top four NBA players. The surprising moment came when Ware explained why he left Jordan off his list.
“I would say MJ, but I heard that some of his stats were false,” Ware said.
Jordan’s 1988 Defensive Player of the Year Award has come under scrutiny. Scottie Pippen recently made a startling claim that NBA scorekeepers fabricated statistics to favor Jordan for the title.
It was completely unexpected from Pippen, especially considering they won six league championships and established themselves as one of the greatest duos in basketball history.
Kel’el Ware Signs a Four-Year Deal With Miami
Per Spotrac, Kel’el Ware signed a four-year, $22.5 million deal with the Heat. His contract includes a guaranteed $9.5 million at signing, with an average salary of approximately $5.6 million per year.
This deal currently makes Ware the sixth-highest-paid player on the Heat, which aligns with the rookie scale for the 15th overall draft selection.
After his standout season at Indiana, the star rookie earned the Heat’s trust. He averaged 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in his sophomore year, which helped him secure a spot on the second-team All-Big Ten.
