MIAMI — Max Strus didn’t win a Larry O’Brien Trophy during his time in Miami.
He won an Emmy instead.
Strus, who left the Heat for the Cleveland Cavaliers last summer as a free agent, received his Emmy statuette for being part of a show detailing his path to the NBA and Miami.
The program called “Inside the Heat — Max Strus” was one of two in the “Sports Program — Post-Produced or Edited Series” division that earned Emmy wins for the Heat at the Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards show last weekend; a show centered on Heat executive vice president and general manager Andy Elisburg also won.
“We really enjoyed our time with Max and his family,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We got to know his family really well.”
Strus joked this week that he didn’t know if Miami would do a red-carpet welcome as part of his Emmy prize. He settled for a small ceremony about an hour before Friday’s game — and yes, he made a speech.
“Never thought I would have gotten one of these,” Strus told the Bally Sports crew after being presented with his statuette. He then thanked them for their work, saying “this is all you guys. I was just in the video. You guys made this happen.”
Strus entered Friday averaging 14.5 points this season for the Cavaliers, who gave him a $64 million, four-year contract. Strus spent three seasons in Miami and was a starter for the team’s runs to the 2022 Eastern Conference finals and 2023 NBA Finals.
The Emmy awards were announced Dec. 2. Elisburg received his statuette Monday, and Friday was the first opportunity for the Heat to present Strus with his.
The Suncoast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences covers television markets in all of Florida and Puerto Rico, plus some parts of Louisiana, Georgia and Alabama.