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c h i k k a
b u z z
Coach Erik Spoelstra
giving pointers during his
Singapore basketball clinic
TEXT
CHARMAINE BAYLON
ERIK SPOELSTRA
became the first coach
of Asian descent (his mother is a Filipina)
to win an NBA championship, when his
team the Miami Heat beat the Oklahoma
City Thunder last June. But the work
never stops for the driven 41-year-old, as
he arrived in Singapore in July to conduct
NBA Fit, Jr. NBA and coaching clinics.
These are programs close to his heart,
as he gets to promote the league and
the sport, as well as encourage kids and
families to get healthy and active.
What are your best
memories of the
Philippines?
One of my best memories — aside from
doing the clinics and the NBA Fit programs
— is traveling from one venue to another;
just looking out the van window and seeing
kids play on the streets, lots of times in
their flip-flops or barefoot, their baskets put
up on trees or poles.
Were you surprised by the
support you received from
the Filipino community?
Yeah, a little bit. Our players are aware
of the support that we’ve gotten. For a
couple of years we haven’t been the most
popular team in a lot of cities in the US.
But we consistently had a great deal of
incredible support from our Filipino fans.
Our players love the Philippines because
of the following we have. People watch our
games and they’re rooting for the Heat. We
love that.
Have you been to places
outside of Manila?
My family’s from San Pablo City, Laguna,
so we did a clinic there two years ago. We
did it at the school my mother went to, so it
was one of my best experiences. My mom
wasn’t there but our relatives were able to
go. It was incredible. I also have family in
Los Baños, Laguna so we go there too.
So which achievement are
you proudest of?
I think that one of the toughest things is to
play for a title and to be part of a team that
connects and commits. All of that works
together at the right time. It’s special and
one of the most gratifying things that you
can experience in athletics. Aside from
that, I’m proud to have been part of the
same organization for 17 years.
Does being a young coach
help you relate to your
players better?
I don’t know. I think one of the reasons
[Heat president and] Coach Riley hired
me was to be able to connect to a new
generation of NBA players. But whether
you’re young or old or somewhere in
between, that doesn’t guarantee anything.
You have to prove yourself every day. I
think all NBA players want to be coached.
They want to have structure and discipline,
and they want their coach to lead them
in those areas. I think it doesn’t matter
whether you’re a veteran or a young coach,
whether you played in the NBA or you
didn’t. As long as you have those things,
they’ll respond to you.
You
,
re also on the road a
lot. What are your travel
essentials?
My travel essentials are shoes, shorts and
shirts for working out. There’s a decent
amount of stress in this profession, and
I realized that one of the best ways I can
relieve stress is to sweat it out. I do a lot to
keep my mind fresh, like running, biking,
lifting weights and yoga.
After winning the 2012 NBA championship, what’s next? The
Filipino-American coach turns teacher and mentor on the side
One on one with
Erik Spoelstra