Miami (AP) — This past summer, while the Miami Heat coach was in the Philippines helping out with USA Basketball for the World Cup, Erik Spoelstra was also hosting a clinic in his mother’s country. After a few dozen children had completed the exercise, they were free to ask him anything.
Someone questioned how long he had been with the Heat. For the next few minutes, Spoelstra spoke about loyalty, friendships, and how lucky he is to play for the Heat, a team he has been a part of for almost thirty years, who value stability.
The most recent reminder of all of that occurred on Tuesday when Miami signed Spoelstra to a historic eight-year contract worth approximately $120 million,
Speaking of his longtime boss and the president of the Heat, Spoelstra said to those children in Manila, “Pat Riley is a legend in the game.” Additionally, he values loyalty. If I had worked for another company, I most likely would have been fired several times. I’m really appreciative of that. We have made an effort to create a culture of family, one in which we trust one another, make sacrifices for one another, and provide for one another.
It’s clear that the formula works. With teams led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, Spoelstra led the Heat teams to the playoffs in 12 of his first 15 seasons as coach. He also made it to the NBA Finals six times, including the previous season, and won titles in 2012 and 2013.
Since Spoelstra succeeded Riley as head coach in 2008, only San Antonio and Boston have won more games in the regular season than Miami, and no team has won more playoff games than the Heat during that time. As of Wednesday, Spoelstra ranks 19th all-time in wins during the regular season (725), and fifth all-time in wins during the postseason (109, excluding a win in a play-in tournament game from the previous season). He will support Steve Kerr’s USA Basketball team as an assistant, working to
Worth every single cent that was agreed upon! James posted a tweet on Tuesday.
Wade expressed a similar opinion, saying, “Spo!!!!!!!!! Earned!” he wrote, including eight moneybag emojis.
Most places don’t think well of Spoelstra because his contract was set to expire after this season. However, that is meaningless in Miami. It’s generally assumed that coaches and executives in the organization stay in their current roles year after year; contracts for these positions are rarely made public.
From 1988, when the team was first formed, and even up until 1995, the names at the top of the staff directory have hardly changed. Riley serves as president, Andy Elisburg as general manager, Adam Simon as assistant general manager, and Micky Arison as managing general partner. Nick Arison, Riley’s son, is the CEO. Elisburg has been present from the beginning.
