Latest news with #ErikSpoelstra
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dwyane Wade admits he initially didn't think Erik Spoelstra would be a great NBA coach: "When he first got the job, I was like, 'What are we doing?'"
Even though Dwyane Wade and Erik Spoelstra won two championships together, Wade wasn't completely sold on Pat Riley's successor at first. He eventually learned that "The Godfather's" instincts were right. "I was a star player when Spo got his first head-coaching job," Wade recalled. "I was there along with the bumps and the bruises of a first-time coach. About time 'Bron came to Miami, I think he was about two, three years on the job, you saw the big improvement as a coach." Advertisement "But when he first got the job, I was like, 'What are we doing? Who is this?" added the three-time champion. Why Spo flourished Spoelstra had to learn the ropes before becoming one of the greatest. It was a steep learning curve, but he navigated through it because he had such strong foundational qualities, namely hard work and a thirst for perfection. "He had his strengths right away and his strength was you're going to be prepared. His preparation is incredible. His work ethic is off the chart," Wade stated. Even though it took years for Spoelstra to find his footing, he eventually got there. As Wade noted, he kept reinventing himself, especially after the 2011 Finals loss to the Dallas Mavericks. He began to study the methods of coaches from other sports and realized he could incorporate their methods into his system. More importantly, Spoelstra knew Riley had his back. Advertisement "You cannot bring a young coach in and fire him within three years. You have to give him space and time to learn how to be a coach, especially in the professional league. And Spo has that with Pat. He wasn't going anywhere. Pat let everybody know that you get out of here before he leaves," continued the 13-time All-Star. Related: Miami trainer says he had workouts with Jimmy Butler at 3:30 AM: "He likes to be uncomfortable because the game is supposed to be easy" Coaching crash course Riley could have taken dozens of routes when he decided to step down as the Heat's head coach. However, he chose Spo, a young Filipino-American working as the team's video coordinator. Advertisement According to Greg Cote of the Miami Herald, the unofficial job interview happened during the 2005-06 season, after Erik brought the game video for the team's film session and stepped aside for Riley to break the clips down for the team. Instead, the legendary coach wanted Spoelstra to "handle the video" with no prior heads-up. "You go over every clip," Riley said to Spo. "Call out the players. 'You didn't get back on defense.' 'You didn't take the charge.' There he was in front of the team for the first time." Shaquille O'Neal was there, along with grizzled veterans Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton and Antoine Walker. D-Wade was also present, and although he was only 24 at the time, he was already a two-time All-Star and an up-and-coming MVP candidate. "He was brilliant. The players all sat up straight and showed him respect, and he did not fumble," Riles recalled. Advertisement Two years later, Spoelstra took over the Heat coaching reins. Seventeen seasons later, he is one of the best in the Association, so much so that he signed an eight-year extension worth $120 million last year, the highest amount committed to any North American coach in any sport. Wade may have questioned Spoelstra at the start, but time has a way of settling debates. Nearly two decades, multiple Finals runs and one massive extension later, there's no mistaking who was right all along. Related: Dwyane Wade demanded more from Shaquille O'Neal after a poor 2007-08 start: "We need him to help lead this team in other ways"
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
What Spoelstra told Kerr about Butler immediately after Warriors trade
What Spoelstra told Kerr about Butler immediately after Warriors trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area Despite some concern about how Jimmy Butler would fit into the Warriors' culture, coach Steve Kerr's mind was at ease. Advertisement That's because his good friend and longtime Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra reassured him before Golden State acquired the six-time NBA All-Star at the February trade deadline. 'Erik Spoelstra told me immediately, 'He's going to be great for you.' And I know Spo really well from the last couple of summers and I trust him,' Kerr told Tim Kawakami on 'The TK Show.' 'I believed him and he was right. Within a couple of days of his arrival, Jimmy was so easy to speak with. 'He reminded me of Andre [Iguodala] with the basketball intellect, but also the interest in the world perspective and the maturity. It was really fun to get to know Jimmy right away and to see the impact he had on our team and our locker room.' There was plenty of chatter about Butler's locker room fit in Golden State since the veteran forward's relationship with his previous team, the Heat, and particularly team president Pat Riley, soured. Advertisement Things got so bad that Butler was suspended multiple times by Miami after missing a team flight, walking out of a shootaround, and other actions deemed as 'detrimental' to the team. And given that it wasn't the first time Butler left a team on bad terms, there were reasonable worries for the Warriors. But those concerns immediately were put to rest upon Butler's arrival, as his impact quite literally did the opposite as he provided a rejuvenated energy to Golden State both on and off the floor. His relationship with Buddy Hield in particular warmed the hearts of Dub Nation. 'He was an absolute dream,' Kerr said. 'I know everything that happened in Miami would not have suggested that, but I can only base Jimmy's impact and his personality and all that stuff on my experience. And he was the model citizen. Just an amazing guy to coach these last few months.' Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Steve Kerr reveals what Erik Spoelstra told him after the Jimmy Butler trade
Jimmy Butler #10 of the Golden State Warriors looks on during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves during Round 2 Game 4 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on May 12, 2025 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. | Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images Jimmy Butler III's departure from Miami was far from graceful, and his fit with the Golden State Warriors was questioned when the trade dropped. However, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra had some words for Steve Kerr which reassured him immediately. 'Erik Spoelstra told me immediately, 'He's going to be great for you.' And I know Spo really well from the last couple of summers and I trust him,' Kerr told Tim Kawakami on 'The TK Show,' per NBC Sports Bay Area. 'I believed him and he was right. Within a couple of days of his arrival, Jimmy was so easy to speak with.' Advertisement 'He reminded me of Andre [Iguodala] with the basketball intellect, but also the interest in the world perspective and the maturity,' Kerr said. 'It was really fun to get to know Jimmy right away and to see the impact he had on our team and our locker room.' Butler has made an impact on the Warriors this season, not just in locker room presence, but in guiding Golden State to the Western Conference Semi-Finals, where they fell to the Timberwolves — a team Butler knows well, having left Minnesota for Philadelphia in 2018 before joining the Heat in 2019. Butler is under contract for the Warriors through the 2026-27 season, having signed a $111 million extension this past February. As a veteran leader with a fiery spirit, Butler will continue to lead the Warriors with the same presence described by Spoelstra. More from
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kel'el Ware Joins Heat Legends In Huge NBA Achievement
The Miami Heat have always prided themselves on creating a culture that raises players from the ground up. So, it comes as no surprise that Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra have done wonders in uplifting the skills of their players immediately after getting selected in the NBA Draft. Kel'el Ware was the latest testament to this. Kel'el Ware has been named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. The Heat rookie shared this honor alongside Chicago Bulls' Matas Buzelis, New Orleans Pelicans' Yves Missi, Washington Wizards' Bub Carrington, and Portland Trail Blazers' Donovan Clingan. Advertisement He garnered 138 points in the voting process, which were 13 short of possibly beating out Alex Sarr for the last spot in the NBA All-Rookie First-Team. Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware (7)Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Despite this, Ware still made history. He became the eighth player in franchise history to be given this honor, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The Heat rookie joins greats like Justice Winslow, Mario Chalmers, Glen Rice, Tyler Herro, Kevin Edwards, Willie Burton, and Udonis Haslem in this pantheon. He is also set up for a great trajectory in his career. Herro, the last player from the Heat system who ended up in the NBA All-Rookie Second-Team, recently just became an NBA All-Star and will be the cornerstone of Pat Riley's rebuild. Advertisement There are still so many things in store for Ware in his years with the Heat. His chemistry alongside Bam Adebayo will still grow, and Coach Erik Spoelstra will surely help him develop his veteran acumen in the coming years. There's no use in moping over the lack of those 13 votes. Related: Kel'el Ware Gets Massive Praise From Erik Spoelstra
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Gorgeous couple alert': Erik Spoelstra's ex-wife Nikki Spoelstra shows glimpse of newfound love, fans react as mystery man kisses her
Image credit: Nikki Spoelstra/Instagram Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra's former wife, Nikki Spoelstra, has dropped major hints about having found new love. And her fans are super impressed with her choice and how happy she seems in a new video. Nikki dropped a new video from an awards event where she was accompanied by the mystery man. Her fans were quick to notice how he can be seen posing for photos with her and kissing her on the head. Nikki Spoelstra shows a glimpse of new found love in video Nikki Spoelstra shared the video from the FIU Torch Awards on Instagram. While she looked stunning in a short white dress, the mystery man joined her in blue pants and an ice blue blazer. She wrote along with the video, 'The Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award is the highest honor bestowed upon alumni. FIU Alumni proudly recognizes supporters who positively impact their profession, the community, and our university. Love my FIU fam and the best alumni association in the country.' She listed some positive facts about the university and added, 'And here's the thing that gets me. I know a lot of folks who went to the other schools for their undergraduate degrees but went to FIU for the degrees that actually qualified them to earn their income. Law degrees. Medical degrees. Architecture and the arts. Sciences. Education. Next time you're in a room talking about your Alma mater, give @fiualumni her flowers. ' Nikki's fans showered the post with heart emoticons and heart eyes emojis. Hinting at the mystery man, a fan wrote, 'The kiss on top of the head.' Another reacted, 'The head kiss we're here for it.' One more commented, 'Gorgeous couple alert!! So sweet!!' A comment also read: 'It's the soft Launch for me!!!! Congrats senorita.' A fan also wrote, 'Love it!!!! Glad you are happy you deserve it.' 'Yess, Nikki with the hot new man,' reacted another. One fan also wrote for the man, 'Yayyyyyy!!!! Love him and his family.' Also Read: Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra reflects on Jimmy Butler's impactful Heat tenure ahead of Golden State Warriors matchup Erik Spoelstra married Nikki Sapp in July 2016 after dating her when she was a Miami Heat dancer. They have three children together and divorced in 2023. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
