MANILA, Philippines - Hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin makapaniwala si Fil-Am Erik Spoelstra, head coach ng NBA team na Miami Heat, na makakabalik pa siya sa Pilipinas.
Halos tatlong taong gulang pa lamang si Spoelstra nang magtungo ang kanyang pamilya sa United States mula na rin sa kagustuhan ng kanyang Amerikanong amang si Jon Spoelstra, dating NBA executive ng Portland Trail Blazer, Denver Nuggets at New Jersey Nets.
Mula sa programa ng US Agency for International Development (USAID), kinuha ng 38-anyos na si Spoelstra ang tsansang muling makasama ang kanyang mga kamag-anak sa San Pablo, Laguna kung saan siya ipinanganak noong Nobyembre 1, 1970.
“I’ve been talking about this trip for so many years with my family and it’s a little bit emotional, something that I wanted too for a long time,” ani Spoelstra kahapon. “I wanted to connect with my roots here in the Philippines.”
Galing sa pagiging assistant coach noong 1999 hanggang 2001, pinalitan ni Spoelstra si Pat Riley, ilang ulit na nagdala sa Los Angeles Lakers sa kampeonato ng NBA, bilang head coach ng Miami Heat noong Abril ng 2008.
“This game is now about younger coaches who are technologically skilled, innovative and bring fresh new ideas. That’s what we feel we are getting with Erik Spoelstra. He’s a man that was born to coach,” ani Riley. “A lot of players want the discipline; they will play (hard) for Spoelstra, because they respect him.”
Ayon kay Spoelstra, na lumaki sa Portland, Oregon, kung saan siya nagtapos sa Jesuit High School noong 1988 at sa University of Portland noong 1992, ang pagbabalik sa bansa kung saan siya ipinanganak ay isang espesyal na biyahe.
“It’s really a special, special trip for me and I hope I can make more of these in the future,” wika ni Spoelstra.
Kasama ni Spoelstra sa pagbisita sa bansa sina Heat assistant coach David Fizdale at dating US Women NBA all-star Sue Wicks, assistant coach ng St. Francis College Terriers. (Russell Cadayona)