MANILA, Philippines - Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said yesterday his biggest regret in life is not playing in the PBA – which he would’ve done if only the opportunity of working with the Heat as a video coordinator didn’t come in 1995, ending his playing career at the age of 25.
Spoelstra, 38, is in town to conduct clinics for coaches, players and underprivileged kids until Saturday. He flew in Monday with Miami assistant coaches David Fizdale and Chad Kammemer and former WNBA star Sue Wicks.
After playing four years for the University of Portland, Spoelstra took a job as playing coach for TuS Herten in the German league for two years.
“I wanted to see Europe,” he said. “But Jim Kelly kept trying to convince me to play in the PBA. He used to send me tapes of PBA games. That’s how I got to know stars like Jaworski. I thought that after playing in Europe, I might be able to do the PBA. But when the offer from Miami came, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work in the NBA.”
Kelly was a former PBA coaching consultant and is now director of player personnel with the Toronto Raptors. He is married to a Filipina and often recommends Fil-Ams and imports to PBA coaches whom he remains in close touch with.
Spoelstra went from video coordinator to assistant coach to head coach in his career with the Heat. He said he owes his development to Heat president and former coach Pat Riley.
“At the start, Pat wasn’t my direct boss,” he said. “I went through other coaches like Stan Van Gundy. Eventually, he became my direct boss when he took over as head coach. I’ve had a great 14-year experience with Pat. My relationship with him now is more of mentorship. I confide in him. His office is just 25 feet away from mine so I’m often knocking on his door. He makes the ultimate decisions on player movements. We talk about whom we’d like to get, how we plan to rebuild. My coaching philosophy is based on his. I’m a believer of Pat’s philosophy and culture.”
Spoelstra said he couldn’t ask for a more inspiring team owner than Mickey Arison. “He wants us to be competitive, to pursue the championship,” he continued. “I think Miami is one of the best franchises in the NBA. It’s not only a great team to join because of Mickey’s commitment to pursue a championship but Miami is also a great place to live.”
Spoelstra said what sets Dwyane Wade apart from other NBA megastars is his sense of humility.
“He doesn’t even want to be compared with guys like Kobe, LeBron or Michael,” said Spoelstra. “He’s accomplished so much in his career at a young age and I think he had an MVP season last season. He doesn’t want to be treated special in our team. He wants to be treated just like everybody else, like one of the players.”
Spoelstra said with Jamario Moon’s transfer to Cleveland, he plans to shift Michael Beasley to cover at small forward.
“Michael will also play power forward as we’ve got guys like James Jones who can play small forward,” said Spoelstra.
With Beasley moving to No. 3, the opportunity will open up for Lamar Odom and Carlos Boozer to step in. The Heat is closing in to sign Odom, who once played with Wade at Miami, and may package a trade to acquire Boozer. Spoelstra declined to comment on the status of negotiations, saying only, “let’s see.”
Spoelstra said this coming season, there are high expectations for Miami and the competition will be more fierce in the Eastern Conference.
In Spoelstra’s coaching debut last year, he engineered the sixth biggest single-season turnaround in NBA history as Miami improved from 15-67 to 43-39.
“There’s always pressure in the NBA,” he said. “With teams like Cleveland, Orlando, Boston and Detroit retooling, I think you’ll notice a paradigm shift in terms of power from the West to the East. Every team is upgrading and we’ve got to be competitive.”
Spoelstra said when he was invited to come over, he felt nervous and excited. “We’ve been trying to make this happen for a while,” he noted. “It was very emotional for me as I haven’t been to the Philippines since I was three.”
Spoelstra said he’s proud of his Filipino heritage and all over the US, it’s a widely-known fact that he’s a Fil-Am. “I grew up living Filipino values, like sense of family and community and respect for elders,” he said. “I’m proud to be the first Filipino-American - and the first Asian-American for that matter - NBA head coach. I notice that in the San Francisco area where there is a large concentration of Filipino residents, media requests are higher than usual when the Heat comes to play.”
Spoelstra said during the week, he’s been with Filipino relatives, particularly his first cousin Hannah who is the daughter of his mother’s brother Tony. On Friday, he will be feted by relatives in a family get-together. A cousin who lives in Singapore planed in for the celebration.
Spoelstra said in his clinic with PBA coaches and players at the Ynares Center yesterday, he shared his experiences in the NBA and tips on how to succeed in basketball. With underprivileged kids in Zamboanga City last Tuesday, he was inspired by their warm reception and spoke about the values of discipline, teamwork and working together for a common goal.