Spoelstra keeps sheriff at his side, creating Toy Story at Disney

The lyrics fit, even if they aren’t necessarily ones Erik Spoelstrawould choose.

“When the road looks rough ahead “And you’re miles and miles from your nice warm bed

“You just remember what your old pal said

“Boy, you’ve got a friend in me.”

In this case, two boys for the Miami Heat’s coach, young sons far from the NBA’s bubble, but with daily DisneyWorld reminders of dad, courtesy of Sheriff Woody.

“Every. Single. Day. Multiple times a day,” Spoelstra said with lighthearted emphasis fromtheNBA’s quarantine setting, explaining the appearances of the leading man fromDisney’s “Toy Story” on FaceTime calls back home to South Florida. The toy figure is a fixture. And it’s not the only one.

With older son Santiago, now2 1⁄2, in control of a Buzz Lightyear, it has made these two-plusmonths isolated fromfamily a bit easier for theHeat coach, and, he hopes, a bit easier for wifeNikki.

“I’m on FaceTime at home four or five times a day,” Spoelstra said ahead of Tuesday’s start of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics at theWide World of Sports complex. “I haveWoody with me on those calls, just to help enforce some discipline and structure at home withmy sons.”

So, yes, the sheriff at least tries to lay down the law.

“Buzz ismy son’s guy,” Spoelstra explained. “So he has his guy. I havemy Sheriff. I broughtWoody, he kept Buzz.”

While family is nowallowed at the NBA’sDisney bubble, with an allowance recently made for coaches to have visitors, the logistics of extended quarantine in a single hotel room aren’t exactly a recipe for success with 2 1⁄2- year-old Santiago and 9-month-oldDante.

“Somebodywould come out of there missing a limb, in a room,” Spoelstra said with a laugh.

“So they’re going to stay home.” Spoelstra is not the only member of the Heat reaching out for reassurance.

Center BamAdebayo said he has made a point of having hismomtime.

“I make sure I talk tomy mom,” he said. “It’s something subtle. That’s justmy game-day routine. Me andmymomtext in themorning and at night, andwe’ll call each other during the day, like once or twice.

“But on game days, I have to at least like text her or talk to her or something. And that’s pretty muchmy routine.”

Similarly, forward Jimmy Butler, the Heat’s other All-Star along with Adebayo, said reaching out beyond theNBA campus, including to formerHeat guard DwyaneWade, helps mute some of the isolation.

“I got to takemymind away fromthe game someway, somehow,” he said. “It’s always about checking in on people’s family and making sure that they’re doingOK. We knowwhat the basketball part of it brings. But like I always say, you could say that there aremore stakes on these games, butwe still have to go about it the same way. We can’t change in anyway like that.

“So, for us, I love talking toD-Wade or whoever it may be. But it’smore so just about life. It’s kind of tough being here in this bubble, so you got to check in on your people.”