Even though he had LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, Erik Spoelstra was a key component for Miami Heat from 2010-14
Erik Spoelstra was an afterthought when it came time to receiving credit during the Miami Heat's Big Three Era from 2010-14.
Those teams featured the likes of LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, who at the time were three of the top 10 players in the NBA. The supporting cast also included Hall of Famer Ray Allen, former Rookie of the Year Mike Miller and Shane Battier.
With so much talent, it was easy to forget about the Spoelstra factor. One member of those teams refused to leave out the coach. Center Greg Oden, a former No. 1 pick, saw up close how Spoelstra managed the team behind the scenes.
Oden, who played just one season in Miami (2013-14), said it was more than just dealing with the superstars. Spoelstra also had to control the egos of the supporting cast.
“I would say the culture was started by Pat Riley but it’s brought on by Spo," Oden said while speaking on The Pivot podcast with Channing Crowder and Ryan Clark. "Spo I think is one of the best coaches I’ve ever seen in my life in how he handled all of those guys, those different personalities. We’re not just talking CB, Bron, and D Wade. We’re talking about Birdman, we talking Beasley, Mario Chalmers, Battier."
Spoelstra took over for Riley for the 2008-09 season in what was considered a bold and risky move at the time. Although he was a longtime assistant, he had zero experience as a head coach.
Spoelstra needed little time to show the right decision was made. After finishing with 15 wins the previous season, the Heat went 43-39 in his first season. Two years later, he had the Heat in the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Dallas Mavericks.
The Heat then won back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012, making four straight Finals appearances during the LeBron era. Eventually, Spoelstra earned a spot as one of the Top 15 coaches in NBA history but still gets overlooked by some.
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Shandel Richardson is the publisher of HeatRoundtable. He can be reached at [email protected]
