Kel'el Ware

Kel'el Ware (born April 20, 2004) is an American basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks and the Indiana Hoosiers.

Early life and high school career
Ware grew up in North Little Rock, Arkansas and attended North Little Rock High School. As a junior, he averaged 16.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 4.1 blocks per game. As a senior, Ware averaged 20.3 points, 12 rebounds, and 5.7 blocks per game. He also played in the Jordan Brand Classic, Nike Hoop Summit, and the 2022 McDonald's All-American Boys Game during his senior year.

Recruiting
Ware was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2022 class, according to major recruiting services. On August 9, 2021, he committed to playing college basketball for Oregon over offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Illinois, Kansas, Memphis, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech. Ware was also offered a two-year contract for $900,000 from Overtime Elite, but he declined offer and maintained his commitment to Oregon.

College career
Ware entered his freshman season at Oregon as the Ducks' second center. He also entered the season as a potential first-round selection in the 2023 NBA draft. After averaging 26 minutes played, 10.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks over the first nine games of the season, Ware saw a decline in playing time due to what Oregon's coaching staff believed to be an inconsistent work ethic. He ultimately averaged 6.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game on the season. At the end of the season, Ware entered the NCAA transfer portal.

Ware ultimately transferred to Indiana. He started at center in the Hoosiers' season-opener against Florida Gulf Coast and recorded the first double-double of his college career with 13 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and two steals as Indiana won 69–63. Ware set a new career-high with 22 points scored while also grabbing 12 rebounds on November 16, 2023, in a 89–80 victory over Wright State. He re-set his career-high in scoring with 28 points in a 89–76 win over Harvard. After the season, Ware declared for the 2024 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.

Miami Heat (2024–present)
Ware was selected with the 15th overall pick by the Miami Heat in the 2024 NBA Draft and on July 2, 2024, he signed with the Heat.

National team career
Ware played for the United States under-18 basketball team at the 2022 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship. He was named to the All-Tournament team after averaging 15.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks as the United States won the gold medal.