At 53, and after 15 years at the helm of the Heat, Eric Spoelstra made American sports history by signing a contract worth $120 million over eight years! This is the largest contract ever signed by a coach in US sport, and it is a great reward for the man who joined the Miami franchise as “video coordinator” in 1995.
For the moment, the Heat have not officially commented on this contract extension, but Erik Spoelstra reacted before the match against the Thunder, and he shared his gratitude for being part of such a stable franchise.
“It is a great lesson in humility to be able to benefit from such stability and, for the staff, to be able to look to the future with serenity,” said the Heat coach on Wednesday. “All professional sports franchises talk about stability, family, consistency and continuity, everyone talks about it. But very few of them implement them. This is why I am incredibly grateful to the Arison family, Micky and Nick, and GM Andy Elisburg. And then there's my relationship with Pat Riley, the president of the Heat. Except for my parents, he is the greatest mentor I have ever had in my life. »
Heat culture in the blood
This new contract binds him to the Heat until 2032. He will then be 61 years old, and this will be his 24th season as coach! “I remain very modest about that” he continues. “I still consider myself a young person in this profession. When people start to tell me that I would then be 60 years old, I wonder who we are talking about… I didn't think that far ahead.”
Like Gregg Popovich at the Spurs, Erik Spoelstra sees himself as the keeper and passer of a culture.
“In this job, you want to work with great, well-intentioned people. There will be ups and downs in this business. We like to try to do unique things, but we also like to be together” recalls Erik Spoelstra. “We've had tough times and years, and that's when we've been most supportive of each other. I grew up in the NBA, so I know how unique it is and that's why I feel a great responsibility to be the guardian of this culture today and for the future. It’s a unique responsibility that I have in my blood.”
