Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Deng inspired Spoelstra to participate in clinic
MIAMI — The road to Africa for Erik Spoelstra began in the Miami Heat locker room.
It was there, in 2015, shortly after the league’s first Africa Game, that the Heat coach spoke to forward Luol Deng and assistant coach David Fizdale about participating in that Basketball Without Borders outreach.
The feedback from Deng, who is from what now is South Sudan, was so inspiring that even with Deng having since moved on to the Los Angeles Lakers and Fizdale since becoming coach of the Memphis Grizzlies, Spoelstra made it a point of being part of this year’s event.
That has had Spoelstra reflecting from Johannesburg, South Africa, about the experience this week, even before Saturday’s exhibition that will be televised by ESPN. Spoelstra spoke shortly after participating in a Habitat for Humanity event that had him working alongside NBA players, referees, coaches and executives.
“Part of the reason I went on this trip this year is from talking to Lu,” Spoelstra said. “And Lu expressing his background and the experiences he had growing up was something that really impacted me and everybody on the team. And then when they had the game two years ago, I followed it closely, because of Lu. We talked about it. David Fizdale went on that trip.
“And then, what they talked about after that week, and how emotional it was and how grateful Lu was for having so many people participate in it, Lu was a big reason why I’m over here now helping, and it was great to catch up with him and get back out on the court together again, but doing it from a coaching and service standpoint.”
Spoelstra this summer already has hosted a clinic in Hawaii, where he has a home, and now again is working to strengthen the bond between the game and the next generation, having previously worked on similar NBA trips to his ancestral home in the Philippines. He pointed to the international inroads already made because of former players such as Dikembe Mutombo and executives such as Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri, both of whom are part of this trip.
“I just want to be able to give and serve,” Spoelstra said. “It’s a great game that we all feel so grateful for. I’ve done a lot of the NBA programs in the Philippines and other places in South Florida. But I’ve always wanted to be a part of BWB in Africa.
“And I’ve always really admired Dikembe and Masai and everybody that’s done so much great work over here, that I just wanted to be a part of it and to offer my services for the week. However little those may be, I just want to be able to help and contribute.”
Among those also on the trip is Heat Assistant General Manager Adam Simon, and former Heat assistant coach Pat Delany, who is a Charlotte Hornets assistant coach.
“I’ve traveled enough around the world with the NBA to see how much it’s grown, globally,” Spoelstra said. “But the kids that are here at camp, they are really so grateful that so many different NBA personnel are over here — players, coaches, front-office executives — just to help. And I think the NBA has done a tremendous job of creating programs and academies to give kids from over here opportunities that they didn’t have before. And it’s not just about trying to make it to the NBA. It’s educational opportunities, social education. All of these things are presented where they weren’t before.”
Spoelstra said the interest has been overwhelming and inspiring.
“The ballroom actually I’m speaking at right now, it was overflowing,” he said. “There weren’t enough tables and chairs to fit everybody in here. And you’re seeing some of the icons in the league that are in this ballroom here to help grow the game, but here to help create more opportunities for kids on this continent. And it really is just an honor to be a part of this and it’s a humbling experience to be a part of this.”