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Erik Spoelstra has been with the Miami Heat for a staggering 29 years. He started as the team’s video coordinator in 1995 before eventually taking over Pat Riley as the head coach in 2008. Along the way, he led the team to a 725-506 regular-season record and a 109-75 win-loss slate in the playoffs.
“Spo” was at the helm when the Heat won the 2006 NBA championship for the franchise’s first Larry O’Brien Trophy. He was the bench tactician when Miami captured two more titles in 2012 and 2013 behind LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
With that in his resume, the Miami Heat rewarded him with a contract extension. Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski:
“Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra’s contract extension includes the most committed coaching money in history: eight years, $120-plus million.”
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In June last year, the Detroit Pistons hired former Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams and gave him a six-year, $78.5 million deal. The following month, the San Antonio Spurs signed longtime coach Gregg Popovich to a five-year contract that is reportedly worth over $80 million. It remains the standard among coaches.
Erik Spoelstra’s extension is second behind Popovich in terms of annual salary by roughly $1 million. “Coach Pop” though, also works as the Spurs’ president of basketball operations, a title that Pat Riley holds in Miami.
Spoelstra’s first big moment in the league came during the 2006 NBA Finals. He coached a veteran team that had Shaquille O’Neal, Gary Payton and Alonzo Mourning. Spoelstra also had a young player by the name of Dwyane Wade become a superstar on that stage.
In 2010, LeBron James decided to take his talents to South Beach to form a superteam with Wade and Bosh. While all the spotlight was on the players, Erik Spoelstra was also thrust into a ton of pressure. Having three of the NBA’s best players in their prime had to result in at least a championship.
“Spo” and “The Heatles” went 2-of-4 in James’ four-year stint in Miami. The Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks in 2011 and to the San Antonio Spurs in 2014. James and crew beat the 2012 OKC Thunder and the 2013 Spurs.
Erik Spoelstra and Heat have been perennial championship contenders over past few years
Erik Spoelstra has been doing an incredible job with the Miami Heat, particularly in recent years. They have been to three Eastern Conference finals and two championship appearances in four years. The Heat lost to the LA Lakers in 2020 and the Denver Nuggets last year.
Last season, he took the No. 8 seeded Heat all the way to the NBA Finals. Miami became the first play-in team to reach the championship round. They did it with six former undrafted players earning solid rotation minutes. It was perhaps his most remarkable job as Heat coach.
The Miami Heat couldn’t land Damian Lillard in the offseason but may be looking to strengthen their lineup before the trade deadline. Even if they fail to land a superstar, no one will overlook Jimmy Butler and Co., not after what they accomplished last season.
The Heat players have quiet confidence in what they can do. They have Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. The franchise also has Erik Spoelstra locked in for the future, who is considered by many to be the best coach in the NBA today.
