Miami Heat rookie Pelle Larsson showcased toughness and versatility with Sweden’s national team in Stockholm, earning praise from coach Erik Spoelstra, who believes Larsson’s development and work ethic could secure him a steady NBA rotation role.
Pelle Larsson drove into the lane in the final seconds of Sweden’s exhibition against Estonia on Wednesday night in Stockholm, but floater rimmed out at the buzzer in an 88-87 loss.
Pelle Larsson
Pelle Larsson
Position: SG
Age: 24
Height: 196 cm
Weight: 98 kg
Birth place: Stockholm, Sweden
However, the bigger story was Larsson’s mindset: he stayed aggressive until the end.
That mentality caught the attention of Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, who was in the building. Speaking to Swedish television at halftime, Spoelstra praised the rookie guard: “He’s a bully with the basketball.”
“What he does are the things that we value,” Spoelstra said. “He’s so tough. He makes winning plays. He’s a great role player. He fits around the best players. And he will continue to get better because he has a great work ethic.
“And outside of that, he’s just a great human being. We like that balance of players that compete, put it all out there to help the team win, but also are great people and teammates. He does that extremely well.”
In Las Vegas Summer League, Larsson often handled the ball as a primary guard. Spoelstra clarified in Stockholm that this was more about player development than grooming him into a point guard.
“We just want to have him as an all-around player,” Spoelstra explained. “He’s smart, skilled, and heady. In Summer League, we had him handle the ball more for his development. The more skills he can add, the better.
“He’s physical—we call him a bully with the basketball. He knows how to draw fouls, get into the paint, and his passing is improving. With improved ballhandling, he’ll take advantage of his strengths even more.”
The Heat have invested in recent first-round picks like NikolaJovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr.,Kel’el Ware, andKasparas Jakucionis. Yet Spoelstra believes Larsson, a 2024 second-round pick from Arizona, could make one of the biggest leaps in playing time.
“You could see at the end of the year he carved out a bigger role,” Spoelstra noted. Training camp begins September 30 at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, and Larsson is expected to compete for consistent minutes.
Spoelstra’s international summer
For Spoelstra, already a frontrunner to coach USA Basketball at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, scouting abroad is routine.
After serving as Steve Kerr’s assistant at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics, he has continued to track Miami’s international players. On Thursday, he traveled from Stockholm to Belgrade to watchJovic represent Serbia against Slovenia.
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