Heat Rookie Drew Inspiration From Lebron James And Carmelo Anthony’s Showdown At American Airlines Arena

While the likes of Alex Sarr and Bronny James stole headlines in the 2024 draft, the Miami Heat quietly drafted themselves a useful piece for the future. Pelle Larsson, the Swedish guard who played college ball in Utah and Arizona, was selected as the 44th overall pick and will be taking his talents to South Beach.

On the Tobin & Leroy Podcast, Larsson spoke about his fascination with Miami’s Big 3 from the early 2010s. Describing how he watched them face off against Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks at home, he recalled,

“My family went to Florida for a vacation when I was probably like 12 and we watched the Big 3 play Carmelo and the Knicks, so it’s pretty cool to have that.”

He was so taken in by seeing the high quality of basketball that he realized he wanted to become a pro in the future. Over the last year, Larsson averaged 12.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, shooting 51.9% from the field and 42.6% from 3, making him a useful pickup for the Heat.

Larsson never really supported any NBA team

After he recalled his story of the Heatles and Carmelo, the Swede went on to clarify that he was never really a fan of any set franchise. He did, however, claim he was a fan of the Heat team with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. The team was touted as one of the best-constructed teams in the NBA and had nearly everything required to win a championship.

As for how Larsson fits into the new-look Heat, it’s very simple. With an above-average shooting percentage in college and a sensational Summer League outing, he should help Miami with outside shooting that they struggled with last season. His official Summer League stats came in at a respectable 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 51.2% from the field and 46.2% on threes.

With Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson already specialist long-range shooters, it may be hard for Larsson to find minutes, but if his exploits so far are any indication, he will be the type of player that the Heat faithful will be able to get behind and support.