WATCH: DJ Khaled Gives Miami Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra a Mid-Playoff Game Shoulder Massage
Game 5 of the second round NBA playoff series between the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers Tuesday was a tense contest. And in an apparent effort to relieve that tension, DJ Khaled stepped out on the court in the middle of the game, and gave a shoulder massage to Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra.
The viral moment happened during the third quarter of Game 5. Khaled was initially going after a ball that went out-of-bounds before giving “Spo” a little shoulder rub.
The short clip shows Khaled handing the ball off to Max Strus of the Heat before walking up courtside, cheering on his team. But when he headed back to his seat, he stopped by his longtime coach to give him a little shoulder squeeze.
If you remember from 2019, Drake did the same thing with Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse during the playoffs, giving Nurse a good shoulder massage in-between possessions.
The league has made an effort to stop pseudo-celebrities from overstepping their boundaries during a game but it ultimately seems like the coaches don’t mind, Spoelstra even laughing at the viral moment after the game.
“That was funny. I didn’t even notice him until the end, what he was doing to get the crowd fired up,” the Heat coach said about Khaled. “I was humbled to be part of that moment. He’s such a great fan there. Over the years, I’ve said hello a few times. But, that was the best interaction and that was genuine.”
Good to see Spo enjoy the moment and maybe the musician is the team’s good luck charm, winning all three games at home in the series, taking a 3-2 lead back to Philly.