Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra sat down with ESPN's Malika Andrews during the NBA Finals media day and practice to reflect on his journey from starting as a video coordinator for the South Beach franchise to being a two-time champion head coach.
“First of all, why is that picture in black and white? I’m not that old!” Fun moment with Erik Spoelstra reacting old film room photos on NBA Today: pic.twitter.com/6QJx5hPBJA
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) May 31, 2023
Spoelstra's father, Joel, also worked around the NBA in the past, serving as an executive for the Buffalo Braves, Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, and New Jersey Nets. He knew how fragile that business could be, so he gave his son an advice when the younger Spoelstra landed his first NBA gig.
Joel told his son that the gig was incredible with legendary figure Pat Riley, who arrived at the Heat the same year as Erik did in 1995.
"No matter what, just hang on, stay with it, no matter what they ask you to do, do not ever leave the situation," the Heat head coach said, recalling his father's advice.
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Erik Spoelstra Has Spent 27 Years With the Miami Heat
The 52-year-old mentor followed his father's advice and spent nearly half his life with the Heat.
Andrews showed the tactician a black-and-white photo during his video coordinator days, which earned the laughs of Spoelstra. The coach jokingly asked why the photo was black-and-white, claiming that "he's not that old."
Spoelstra also feels a responsibility to be a caretaker for the organization, as he pointed out that Pat Riley's stable situation for nearly 30 years is a good thing.
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