Erik Spoelstra: The Life And Rise Of Miami's White Hot Heat Source

If you are a Miami Heat fan, then the name Erik Spoelstra most certainly rings a bell. Erik is a professional basketball coach and is the current head coach of the National Basketball Association Miami-based basketball team, Miami Heat. Despite being a successful coach and leader of the White Hot Heat, Spoelstra is also capped with a several feats like being the first head coach of Asian American decent and is still the first Asian American coach to win a championship. Let's have look at who this great Miami Heat manager is and where he has come from to reach to such a peak in his life.
Erik Spoelstra is the only and youngest son of Jon Spoelstra's and Elisa Celino's two children. His dad, Jon, was an NBA executive who worked with Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers and the likes. Being around basketball all his life, it is quite formidable to deny the fact that NBA has always been a part of, if not his life. As a matter of fact, Pat Riley (former head coach of the Miami Heat) stated that he (Erik) was 'born to coach' as he hand picked him as his immediate successor while stepping down from coaching.

Born November 1, 1970, in the town of Evanston, Illinois, Erik spent a better part of his childhood in New York then in Oregon. He later attended Beaverton's Jesuit High School in Oregon where he shone as a point guard on the school's basketball team. He received plenty of basketball scholarships before eventually settling for one from his hometown's University of Portland. Due to his prowess, he was names freshman of the year in 1989's West Coast Conference. For four years, he played as the Pilots point guard and averaged 2.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 9.2 points per game. He later graduated with a degree in communications from the University of Portland in 1992.

After graduating, Erik spent two years as an assistant coach and player for the German professional basketball team Tus Herten based in Westphalia, Germany. It is here that Spoelstra first got a shot at coaching as he was made coach of Tus Herten's local youth basketball team. In 1995, Tus Herten offered him another two year contract just as Miami's White Hot Heat offered him a deal too. He settled for the Heat's position.

Erik Spoelstra at White Hot Heat

As Assistant Coach

At first, thanks to Chris Wallace convincing power, Erik served as the Miami Heat's video coordinator. This was at around the same time when Pat Riley was named head coach of the team. For two years, Spoelstra served as the video coordinator. For the next two years, he served as the team's video coordinator cum assistant coach. In 1999, he promoted to the team's advance scout cum assistant coach before being named as the team's director of scouting cum assistant coach in 2001. As the assistant coach, Erik was recognized for improving how some of the players played. For instance, he helped out Dwayne Wade improve is jump shots and balance. As an assistant coach, Erik won his first championship in the 2006 finals when the Heat's defeated Dallas' Mavericks.

As Head Coach

In the month of April 2008, Pat Riley stepped down as the White Hot Heat head coach and named Spoelstra as his successor- making him the first Asian American to head an NBA team. In his first year, he led his team to the NBA playoffs. However, they suffered a few upsets in that season and the next one. Nonetheless, Erik successfully managed to improve the results for the next seasons and beyond. However, in the 2010-2011 season the Miami Heat started off on the wrong foot. Players started questioning his capabilities as coach. After failing to make a team featuring in the 'big three' to win, the management considered calling Pat Riley back; but he denied and instead supported Erik. Pat rallied for Erik which ended up with him getting a contract extension deal in December 2011 that was intended to run through to the 2013-2014 season.

Light at the end of the tunnel... at last!

Despite his team's appearance on consecutive playoffs, Erik was not going to take it anymore. In 2012 and 2013, he spruced up his team to take home the championship. From there on, it has been an upward trend. In 2012, he became the first Asian American head coach to bag a NBA championship and the second White Hot Heat coach to take the title. He also was credited to being the first Miami Heat Head Coach to take the team to multiple NBA finals. In 2013, Erik's Miami Heat kept on turning the heat with 27 straight winning streaks; which is the second longest in the history of NBA.  The Miami Heat defeated the Spurs making them the first team to win 2 straight titles after LA Lakers and Spoelstra the eighth coach to ever lead a team to winning two consecutive championships. In September 2013, Miami Heat's board extended his contract by an undisclosed number of years.

The story of White Hot Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra is one of determination, hope and hard work. It is therefore fair enough to laud him as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time.