Caleb Martin finds a rhythm before he finds his shot, with a couple of steady bounces of the basketball beneath him that mimic the start of a rap beat.
Boom. Boom. Swish.
The distinct sounds, echoed by dribbles before the ball rips through the net, are constant in their flow, similar to the J. Cole lyrics blaring over the speakers inside American Airlines Center.
The Grammy Award-winning musician – and Martin’s longtime friend – reflects in his recent song “Bronx Zoo Freestyle” on the decades-long relationship between hip-hop and the NBA, which originated in the late 1970s, early ’80s:
Mavericks
“I remember when it was rappin’ and ball-playin’.”
Warming up to Cole’s music is a popular choice among his Mavericks teammates. It’s a personal pick for Martin, the seventh-year veteran who probably wouldn’t be in the league if it wasn’t for the multi-platinum rapper, who released his highly anticipated seventh studio album, The Fall-Off, on Friday.
The project’s rollout over the last month has coincided with Martin’s strongest performances as a Mavericks forward.
It’s part of the reason you can hear the gratitude in his voice whenever he’s asked to reflect on his journey from Mocksville, N.C. His hometown is a little over two hours southeast of Cole’s native city of Fayetteville and an hour north of Martin’s first NBA stop in Charlotte.
Musical artist J. Cole watches a game between Dallas Mavericks and the Detroit Pistons during the first half of play at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Wednesday, December 20, 2017. Cole and former Maverick Dennis Smith Jr. are both from Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer
The Hornets signed Martin in 2019 as an undrafted rookie out of Nevada and NC State, where he met Cole, who would occasionally play pickup games with the team and Martin’s trainer, Omar Khanani.
Charlotte waived Martin on Aug. 7, 2021, after two seasons playing alongside his fraternal twin brother, Cody, in their home state. He averaged 5.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in 53 games during his sophomore season.
Martin spent most of the next month working out at Cole’s private gym in North Carolina, where Cole, a 6-3 walk-on his sophomore year at St. John’s, ran pickup games with the twins and some of the state’s best talent.
Cole, whose full name is Jermaine Cole, fulfilled his own pro hoop dreams in 2021 by playing three preliminary games in the inaugural season of the Basketball Africa League, and he joined the Hornets’ new ownership group in June 2023, just five years after he shouted out Oak Cliff in a song and joked about buying the Mavericks from former majority owner Mark Cuban.
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In his North Carolina gym, Cole witnessed Martin’s athleticism, the tenacity on defense Mavericks fans see nightly and his shooting potential. Known for his curiosity through his music, Cole asked Martin a direct question.
‘Man, why aren’t you picked up?’ Martin said, recalling the conversation to The Dallas Morning News. “You’re too good to be sitting here working out at the gym.”
The rapper called another friend with a bevy of experience and sway in NBA circles: Caron Butler, a member of the Mavericks’ 2011 championship team who is now an assistant coach with their rival from that series, the Miami Heat, invited Martin to an open scrimmage.
Martin seized the opportunity, driving two hours to Raleigh, N.C., for a COVID-19 booster shot and back to Charlotte to catch a last-minute flight to prove himself against players who would become his Heat teammates.
“I killed the workout,” Martin said. “They called me like two hours later while I was riding on my scooter back to the hotel and let me know they were going to give me a two-way spot.”
The Heat converted his two-way contract to a standard deal midseason. He played a pivotal role in the team’s Cinderella run to the 2023 NBA Finals, including a sensational shooting performance against the Boston Celtics during the Eastern Conference Finals that tied the Heat’s franchise record of 22 3-pointers in a playoff series.
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) smiles during a free throw alongside Miami Heat forward Caleb Martin (16) and guard Terry Rozier (2) during the first half of an NBA game, Thursday, March 7, 2024, in Dallas.
Elías Valverde II / Staff Photographer
After earning a multi-year extension, Martin averaged a career-high 10 points per game during the 2023-24 season. He then signed a four-year deal guaranteed for more than $32 million with the Philadelphia 76ers, who traded him to the Mavericks last season for Quentin Grimes.
A severe right hip strain limited him to only 14 games, a rocky start to his tenure in Dallas, while Grimes thrived on a depleted 76ers team.
“When you go through tough spots like my situation coming here, getting myself back on track with your body and working your confidence through playing, you realize that you’ve been through worse before,” Martin said.
Martin, who’s well aware of how the business of basketball can suddenly change a career trajectory, is happy to have survived a volatile trade deadline in Dallas, where he’s playing some of his best basketball since joining the franchise.
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Martin has started in nine of the Mavericks’ last 11 games and has gained more confidence from beyond the arc, shooting 52.4% while averaging 7.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.5 steals.
“I think he’s just starting to get his feet back under him,” teammate Naji Marshall said. “He’s being the Caleb we all used to. Proud of him. A lot of people don’t make it back from what he was going through and dealing with, so, just proud to see him out there balling, and I hope he can keep it up ‘cause we need it.”
Through perseverance and an unwillingness to concede to injuries, Martin is finding his footing at the right time.
“I’m grateful for my situation and the growth I’ve had over the years and just the luxury of still being in this league,” he said.
Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) guards the ball against Dallas Mavericks forward Caleb Martin (16) during an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Dallas.
Jessica Tobias / AP
Martin credits Cole, a “humble dude” who rarely gives interviews, for facilitating his return to the league.
“He just wants to be regular so bad,” Martin said. “He just is really that genuine, just that chill and he’s really a normal guy, but he’s a great human being, bro. He’s authentic and he’s always looking out for everybody.”
The Fall-Off, which is intended to be Cole’s final album, symbolizes a 10-year run as one of hip-hop’s most elite lyricists and possibly the end of his decorated career that spans nearly two decades.
Martin has no intention of falling off, but he’s looking forward to the new project from his friend, with whom he communicates regularly. They still work out with each other in the summer when their schedules permit.
For Martin, his most meaningful basketball moment with Cole is the assist he gave him in 2021.
“Having him help get me to a destination that allowed me to get my career back on track, I’m obviously, forever grateful for that,” Martin told The News. “That’s still my boy…You know, it’s like family at this point.”
Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.