The NBA’s first Filipino American head coach can’t get any love.
It has less to do with him being Filipino American and more to do with him being surrounded by some superstar talent.
The Sun Sentinel reports its the same thing Phil Jackson went through when he coached such players as Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant –despite winning 11 titles.
Spoelstra has been coaching the Miami Heat for 5 years, but it was in the last three when Lebron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade teamed up together.
Spoelstra won his first title last year and is the heavy favorite to win the second.
“I’m not presumptuous or naive about it,” Spoelstra said. “There are a lot of coaches who could coach this team. There are probably some that could mess it up. I just don’t want to be one of those people that screw it up. But I don’t think I’m the only person that could coach this team.”
Heat team president Pat Riley knows what Spoelstra is going through.
“That man who is blessed with a lot is overlooked,” Riley said recently. “It’s really one of the hardest jobs to do, is to have to win. Erik has to win and has to perform. His team has to perform. How this team has grown over the last three years, I think this has been his finest year as a coach. … Don’t penalize him because he’s got a great team.”
You can read what others say about Spoelstra in the Sun Sentinel.
