{"id":5214,"date":"2024-11-27T09:10:22","date_gmt":"2024-11-27T09:10:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=5214"},"modified":"2024-11-27T09:10:22","modified_gmt":"2024-11-27T09:10:22","slug":"miami-heat-president-on-choosing-erik-spoelstra-as-his-successor-spos-comments-got-better-deeper-smarter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=5214","title":{"rendered":"Miami Heat President on Choosing Erik Spoelstra as His Successor: ‘Spo\u2019s Comments Got Better, Deeper, Smarter’.."},"content":{"rendered":"

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Choosing a successor was never easy for\u00a0Miami Heat<\/a>\u00a0president and minority owner\u00a0Pat Riley\u00a0. However, he talked about how he was impressed by how\u00a0Erik Spoelstra\u00a0matured in his basketball approach. This led him to name the former video coordinator as the organization\u2019s next head coach.<\/p>\n

As a guest on \u201cThe OGs Show,\u201d Riley talked about the factors that led him to select\u00a0Spoelstra\u00a0. The former head coach of the\u00a0Los Angeles Lakers told former Heat players Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller how the current head coach\u2019s maturity caught his attention.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Riley claims he disliked meetings and instructed his assistant coaches to write their observations following each game.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was a hard decision,\u201d Riley said. \u201cWhen I left, because there were a couple of guys there that were with me since the beginning. One of the things as a coach that I never liked to do is meet\u2026 I wanted all the coaches after the game to watch the film and then to write down their notes and slide them under my door.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Being an assistant coach since the late 1990s, Spoelstra\u2019s understanding of the game matured. Riley noticed the growth, allowing him to choose the former assistant to be the next head coach for the\u00a0Heat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate people\u2019s opinion\u2019s. And Spo, I\u2019d see the blue cards come under my door. Every year, Spo\u2019s comments got better, better, deeper, smarter, higher basketball IQ. The questions he was asking and the points he were bringing up, I said, \u2018This guy\u2019s got something going for him.\u2019\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Pat Riley on Erik Spoelstra\u2019s greatness\u00a0\"\"<\/p>\n

The OGs x Pat Riley out now here:\u00a0https:\/\/t.co\/5RTdHu0N7G<\/a>\u00a0pic.twitter.com\/UBfwmds2ui<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The OGs Show (@theOGsShow)\u00a0November 26, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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With Coach Spo, the Heat became a consistent contender and won two titles with the Big 3 of\u00a0LeBron James<\/a>, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh from 2010 to 2014.<\/p>\n

Riley\u2019s honest thoughts on LeBron James\u2019 title guarantees after joining the Miami Heat<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Miami Heat President on Choosing Erik Spoelstra as His Successor:\u00a0Feb 18, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and small forward LeBron James (6) before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Heat defeated the Mavericks 117-106. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Before James could play a game for the Miami Heat, he went viral for his claims that they would win multiple titles. With Riley\u2019s recent appearance at Haslem\u2019s show, he revealed his honest thoughts on LeBron\u2019s guarantees.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t mind at all. We had a packed house, fans are going crazy. Those things don\u2019t happen that often in the NBA.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Riley said he didn\u2019t mind as he pulled a similar media stunt following their 1987 championship win with the Lakers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 1987, we beat the Celtics. It was the best team that we had, that team had matured to be the best they could be as a team. We won 67 games that year and we won the title. After four championships, I remember saying to the media at the parade, \u2018I guarantee that next year we\u2019re gonna win it again.\u2019\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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