Erik Spoelstra: incompetent, lucky … One of the Best Coaches in NBA History

Erik Spoelstra: incompetent, lucky … One of the Best Coaches in NBA History

You’ve likely heard the Eric spola story he started in a windowless Miami Heat video room and worked so hard he eventually became head coach he was the first Asian-American coach in any of the four major US Sports he won back-to-back rings with superstars and made two final appearances without Superstars he took

An eighth seed to the finals he’s Elite officially one of the 15 all-time greatest coaches in NBA history but hang on let’s back up to that backtack rings with superstars bit because that wasn’t always a feather in his cap I mean I’m sure he liked it but

Coaching Superstars can put you in a tight spot you’re either incompetent or lucky or in Eric spoler case Both when Eric spolo became the heat head coach in April 2008 nobody really knew him maybe people had glimpsed him on the sideline as an assistant coach maybe but spola still had an instant identity upon his appointment Pat Riley’s guy Pat Riley is beloved in

Miami he brought him a title in ‘ 06 but after an injury dictated dismal 08 run Riley decided it was time to step back and just be president of the heat he handpicked his successor expressing complete faith in the heret for unknown assistant coach there was some gentle

Skepticism towards spolo he was young he never played in the NBA could he really be an authority figure but this was by no means an indictment or a we don’t want him type reaction the overall reception was open and positive I mean the Heat won 15 games the previous

Season the stakes were low so sure see what the new guy can do heat star Dwayne Wade liked him and it certainly didn’t hurt that he was endorsed by Pat Riley it’s got to be pretty good if Miami’s favorite coach and person liked him plus Riley’s still

President he can help spola or call all the shots from behind the scenes or step in and take over like he did in the 056 season after Stan Van Gundy wasn’t getting the job done and uh that year ended with a championship just saying so spolo was accepted but being

Riley’s guy had a downside too after a year at the helm articles reviewing Spa’s performance were titled spola Riley’s Choice his own name was secondary to the fact that Riley chose him after a year in which he got Miami back to the playoffs it’s like the media

Was grading Riley’s ability to choose a replacement more than considering spola an individual but hey consensus was Riley made a fine choice not perfect but fine The Following Season he won a few more games made the postseason again sure they had another first round to exit but they’re moving in the right

Direction spoler is just fine and added bonus after two seasons of acceptable coaching spolo was starting to poke his head out from under the ryley’s choice label the Florida press highlighted and praised his penchant for pithy locker room phrases that set a tone unified and motivated the team maybe this spoler guy

Was just who Miami needed oh wait shut the up what’s all this in the summer of 2010 Miami became the top Contender for a championship or several championships overnight everything changed including opinions on spola actually the coach isn’t fine he’s a pale copy of Riley who tries too hard to

Be Riley and actually we hate his pretentious little py phrases who does he think he is Pat Riley this is a serious team now and spola is too inexperienced he’ll cow toow to the big three and let’s not forget get we have a legendary coach waiting in the wings SPO

Get out of his way but while fans and the media turned on him internally spola had support Riley was clear he wasn’t going to coach again and he firmly believed his Protege was up for the task of leading Superstars to Glory LeBron wanted spola and Wade who had been playing for

Spola for 2 years unequivocally backed him SPO wasn’t going anywhere one thing the media and the Heat organization could agree on spolo was in a tough spot anything less than an instant title was unacceptable and perhaps thanks to a certain high-profile player high-profile predictions not two

Not three not four not five not six not seven anything less than an instant dynasty was unacceptable there were two outcomes for SPO neither of them great failed to win be considered incompetent when be considered lucky let’s meet Eric spola the incompetent when the star studied heat

Began the season a mediocre 5 and four the spoler criticism poured in Charles Barkley had a stopwatch counting down the seconds till Pat Riley took over fans started a website entitled fires like his critics while aggressive had some legs to stand on spoler took a while to land on a rotation then on

November 27th with a team fighting to stay above 500 basically incapable of beating teams with winning records this happened did LeBron James just bump his coach on live TV on purpose the clip was analyzed under a powerful microscope and I think we can say exaggerated a bit his

Jacket didn’t nearly come off but I guess reporters could write like this because it was a conceivable situation it was believable that LeBron would be upset enough to bump his coach really hard during a game LeBron and SPO both said they didn’t even notice it it certainly wasn’t on purpose but

Intentional or not the media concluded the bump spoke volumes it was a symbol of the frustration in Miami it was evidence of obliv vious nness of a lack of relationship between SPO and his players now two days later an article broke in which unnamed sources revealed SPO and his players did have a

Relationship just a terrible one players were sick of his simplistic offense tired of him being hard on them and nitpicking because he clearly feared for his job One Source said even spo’s greatest champion Pat Riley had started to express some doubts as at the Heat’s First Media session after the story broke nobody

Came to the coach’s defense LeBron did say I have Coach spos back or whatever the case may be this is who we have damning might as well have said this is who we have for now Dwayne Wade who just months ago said he 100% supported the

Coach severed that tie Wade was having a difficult early season coming off a hamstring injury and that likely was a big reason the heat weren’t winning and sure that’s not Spa’s fault but it also wasn’t not his fault you know there was little Sympathy for spola the

Incompetent the media made fun of him there was a sort of Glee in the idea that he was probably getting fired the joke here being spoler has to beg LeBron to stay employed the joke here the young single spolo will soon announce he’s stepping away to spend more time with his family

I think these jokes are actually funnier when I explain them but hey look at that spoler wasn’t fired the heat managed to get it together and they made the finals after all all right unfortunately there wasn’t much time for anyone to give spoler much credit for the turnaround

Because the heat lost the finals in humiliating fashion in elimination game six they were completely flumed by a simple zone defense and it was all Eric spoler fault everyone expected and wanted Pat Riley to step in and shove spoler aside with more Force than LeBron’s bump but it wasn’t happening Riley

Showed his support for his mentee in the most tangible way possible a new contract so spolo was safe for a very short amount of time a year later the young coach was again on the chopping block with his neck outstretched in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals the heat

Went up on the Celtics two games to none that sounds nice but then they lost three games in a row and faced elimination that sounds less nice especially when you hear what people were saying about Eric spolo he’s in over his head he has no Authority he

Couldn’t organize a team meal and what the hell shouldn’t it be easy to sit back and ride Elite coattails to Glory let’s check in on Fires spo.nm was likely up and SPO probably knew it but hey the heat managed to hang on make it to the finals and then win

Them all right way to go everybody’s happy and now it’s time to meet Eric spola the lucky okay so spoler did get some credit after winning his first ring he wasn’t immediately called lucky then the following year was incredible spoler became the eighth coach in the history of the NBA to win

Back-to-back titles and sure he had some detractors but he also got some acknowledgement and even praise but in the years that followed that credit was rescinded in 2014 he lost in the finals okay unfortunate then LeBron left and the heat were really bad so bad that spos back-to-back titles didn’t mean

any coach would have success with that lineup spoler was the lucky guy in a suit on LeBron’s bench the lucky stigma was even retroactively applied to his first few years in Miami before they became a super team when SPO was reportedly fine in the seasons that followed Bosch got

Sick Wade aged and the heat were mediocre at best confirming the sentiment that spull struck didn’t earn his ranks without a superstar he wasn’t sniff in the finals but hold on how good of a coach would he have to be to reach the finals without a superstar ah here’s the ERX Pooler we

Recognize Eric spola the elite in 2020 the heat returned to the finals with two Allstars but no Superstars and a young Supporting Cast and that group took LeBron and the Lakers to six games suddenly it was cool to respect Eric spola and actually he might be one of the best coaches out there

Two years later yeah he’s officially one of the best coaches in the NBA ever past players spoke glowingly of spola including the big three doing their part to legitimize Spa’s role in the 12 and 13 titles and making no mention of any tension or backstabbing or crappy starts

In 2023 the heat made it back to the finals with a single Allstar nine undrafted players and here’s the big part they were the eighth seed so okay that’ll do it that’ll take him out of Riley Shadow that’ll make us forget fires Uh I guess turn it off now for secret base I’m Clara Morris good night and good game

You’ve likely heard the Erik Spoelstra story: he started in a windowless Miami Heat video room and worked so hard he eventually became head coach. He was the first Asian American coach in any of the four major US sports. He won back-to-back rings with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh and made two finals appearances without superstars. He’s elite, officially one of the 15 all time greatest coaches in NBA History.

But hang on, let’s go back to that “back-to-back rings with superstars” bit because that wasn’t always a feather in his cap. I mean, I’m sure he liked it, but coaching superstars can put you in a tight spot. You’re either incompetent, or lucky. Or, in Erik Spoelstra’s case, both.

Written and produced by: Clara Morris
Directed and edited by: Ryan Simmons

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