The Miami Heat are on their way back to the NBA Finals.
After beating the No. 1-seeded Milwaukee Bucks and the No. 5-seeded New York Knicks, they won the No. 2-seeded Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals. Jimmy Butler and co were the second No. 8 seeds to reach the NBA Finals after the Knicks’ lockout-shortened 1998-99 season.
Led by head coach Erik Spoelstra, the Heat has been a steady force in the NBA throughout the 21st century. The team has reached the NBA Finals in seven of the past 18 seasons.
Here’s an in-depth look at the 52-year-old Spoelstra, including his history as a player and coach:
How long has Erik Spoelstra coached with the Miami Heat?
Spoelstra succeeded Pat Riley as the Heat’s head coach before the 2008-09 season. He’s been at the helm for 15 seasons, coaching players like Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Jimmy Butler.
Has Erik Spoelstra played in the NBA?
No. Spoelstra played college basketball for the University of Portland from 1988 to 1992, averaging 9.2 points and 4.4 assists as the Aviators’ starting point guard.
After graduating from UP, Spoelstra worked briefly for Nike boxing shoes before heading overseas. He joined TuS Herten, the second division of the German basketball Bundesliga, as a player assistant coach for two seasons.
After his time in Germany, Spoelstra joined the Heat as a video coordinator in 1995 and has been with the organization ever since.
What is Erik Spoelstra’s regular season record?
In 15 seasons, Spoelstra’s regular season record was 704-419.
His 20th regular-season win in coach history is second only to Gregg Popovich, Doc Rivers, Rick Carlisle, and Nate McMillan among active coaches this season (Rivers and McMillan fire).
What is Erik Spoelstra’s playoff record?
Entering the 2023 NBA Finals, Spoelstra has a career playoff record of 108-71.
The Heat have made the playoffs in 13 of his 15 seasons, winning at least one round in eight.
How many championships has Erik Spoelstra won?
The Heat won two titles under Spoelstra, back-to-back in 2012 and 2013.
With the trio above of Wade, James, and Bosh, Spoelstra helped Miami reach four straight NBA Finals from 2011-2014.
After a brief team revamp, the Heat made it to the NBA Finals again in the 2020 bubble playoffs, where they lost to James and his Los Angeles Lakers. Now, with a core of Butler and Bam Adebayo, Spoelstra put Miami back on the brink of a championship.