Getty Dewayne Dedmon #21 of the Miami Heat looks on against the New York Knicks at FTX Arena on January 26, 2022 in Miami, Florida.
The Miami Heat center Dewayne Dedmon announced some major personal news on Instagram during the All-Star break, the birth of his second child. Neither Dedmon nor his wife Kayla revealed her pregnancy on social media, therefore the wonderful news came as a total surprise for Heat fans.
The 32-year-old center shared a series of photos to announce the birth of their new baby boy, “Dedmon party of 4,” he captioned the Instagram post. “My second born Roman Alexander Dedmon finally came on 2/20/22 💙💙.”
Kayla, who married Dedmon in 2019, also revealed the baby news on Instagram, sharing a hospital selfie with the newest addition to their family.
Dedmon’s teammates filled the comments section with messages of congratulations. Kyle Guy wrote, 😢🖤, while Udonis Haslem commented, “Congrats Bra… 🎉🎂🎁.”
Other NBA stars also chimed with personal messages. Golden State Warriors’ Nemanja Bjelica wrote, “Congrats brate🙏🏻❤️🤗” and Philadelphia 76ers’ Tobias Harris added, “Congrats bro!!!”
Dedmon and Kayla are already parents to Dewayne Jr., who turned three in November. The family celebrate little Dewayne’s birthday with a cookie cake that featured a basketball drawn with icing on top.
Dedmon Continues to Be a Reliable Backup for All-Star Bam Adebayo
Dewayne Dedmon with a poster out of nowhere 💥
Dedmon, a true 7-footer, was a late-season addition to the Heat’s roster in April 2021 and re-signed with the team with a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract before the start of the 2021 NBA season.
In addition to providing size and toughness on the court, Dedmon is providing on offense, unexpectedly becoming one of the team’s most reliable three-point shooters. Thus far this season, Dedmon is averaging 6.6 points per game, 6.1 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game.
Miami Heat 3P% in December:
58% – Dewayne Dedmon
53% – Caleb Martin
52% – PJ Tucker
46% – Max Strus
40% – Gabe Vincent
39% – Kyle Lowry
38% – Duncan Robinson
WE GOT SHOOTERS #HEATCulture
The undrafted center out of USC continues to be a reliable backup for All-Star Bam Adebayo, and his daily work ethic quickly earned him respect from his Heat teammates.
“Dewayne’s been solid, man,” sharpshooter Duncan Robinson said in late January. “I think that’s the biggest thing. He just shows up every day, consummate professional, just the effort that he plays with, the toughness that he brings. He’s just a rock on both ends of the floor.”
“His communication is impeccable super loud, super communicative,” Robinson said. “He’s just the kind of guy you love to play with, because you know he’s going to be reliable.”
Heat Return From the All-Star Break on Friday
While the timing of Roman Alexander’s birth couldn’t have come at a better time, Dedmon will return to work on Friday, February 24, when the Heat take on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
The Heat (38-21) entered the All-Star break in first place atop the Eastern Conference, and Miami will look to keep the momentum going during the second half of the season. After a heavy road-game schedule during the first half of the season, the Heat have the most upcoming home games (15) and eight away games left in the regular season.
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra implored his players to enjoy the break, but said of their return, “We’ll buckle down and get serious,” per Sun Sentinel‘s Ira Winderman.
“We know how competitive it is,” Spoelstra said of the team’s upcoming 23 games. “And we have a bunch of hard-nose, competitive guys in our locker room, they thrive and want these kinds of situations and compelling matchups.”
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