ERIK SPOELSTRA

NBA COACH AND CHAMPION

MANY GREAT THINGS HAVE BEEN SAID ABOUT FILIPINO-AMERICAN NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION (NBA)’S MIAMI HEAT HEAD COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA,

commonly known as ‘Coach Spo.’ With a number of record-breaking achievements under his belt, it’s no surprise when sports media leaders like ESPN considered him as a potential Coach of the Year.

Coach Spo, a Smart Infinity endorser, made headlines across the globe when he steered Heat to their second NBA championship, and basketball superstar LeBron James’ first championship ring, in 2012 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Prior to the championship,

Coach Spo had been trailblazing the path not only for Filipinos but for all Asians. Erik Spoelstra is Filipino through his mother Elisa Celino who hails from San Pablo, Laguna. Since the beginning of his run as successor to Pat Riley as head coach in 2008, he was the first Asian-American head coach in the history of the four major American sports leagues, the first AsianAmerican head coach to win an NBA championship and the youngest to do so. Riley proudly shares that Spoelstra is a man that was born to coach: “Players will play [hard] for Spoelstra, because they respect him.”

Early February this year, he was named head coach of the 2013 Eastern Conference All-Star Team. Following this, he again made history leading Heat to a 27 game-winning streak, the second longest in NBA history.

Henry Abbott, senior writer for ESPN.com wrote: “Spoelstra’s not just coaching the team with the best record. He’s also doing so while adjusting to whatever it is that can make his team better, even if that means less of him.”

What makes Spoelstra most admirable is his desire to share his basketball knowledge with the Filipino youth, returning occasionally to the Philippines through his NBA FIT Program. “That’s the one quality that my mother instilled in my family—the Filipino culture of giving.”