This past season, the Miami Heat inked coach Erik Spoelstra to a lucrative eight-year contract extension. The deal was worth north of $120 million, and set as the highest amount of money that has even been committed to an NBA coach. He has been at the helm of the Heat sidelines ever since 2008.
Recently, Udonis Haslem appeared on the Pat Bev Pod and put out some standout quotes regarding Spoelstra and his greatness. He mentioned that Spo thrives when the Heat are counted out and “in the mud.”
“Spo is at his best when we in the f*cking mud. When sh*t get grimy, rough, done lost 3/4 in a row and people count heat out, he’s at his best.” – Udonis Haslem
The expression of being ‘in the mud’ is something that surfaced on Heat twitter relating to comeback wins, and clawing their way up the standings. In an early January game of this year, the quote was first brought up after an overtime come-from-behind victory against the Brooklyn Nets. The trio of Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo all put their imprints over the clutch win.
Haslem also shared on the podcast that Spoelstra was already preparing for next season after being eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the first round. When Haslem asked him about the Celtics winning the championship back in June, Spoelstra said he didn’t watch it.
When it comes to the legacy of NBA coaching, there aren’t many that have been more competitive than Spoelstra. His journey has been improbable; starting as a video coordinator at the start of his career. Now, he is cemented as one of the best coaches of all-time.
He sports a pair of championships from 2012 and 2013, along with six Eastern Conference finals championships. No matter how undermanned or how much the Heat have over performed, it seems like Spoelstra is always able to get the best out of his rosters regardless of the circumstances.
The fact that Miami never became a lottery team post-LeBron James era says a lot about Spo’s craft. His elite leadership as a coach has willed his teams to always be competitive. He is a true product of Pat Riley, following in his winning ways and approach to the game.
In the wise words of Spoelstra, the Heat will always “have enough”.
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