2. He Never Considered Tanking
In today’s NBA, the strategy of “tanking” for a top draft pick is quite commonplace, albeit unfortunate. In early January, it seemed to most that Miami would be one of those teams. The Heat were spiraling out of control, inching ever closer to a top-five NBA lottery pick.
It would’ve been so easy to just accept that fate — to flip on the cruise control and let the natural flow of things take its course.
That isn’t in Spoelstra’s DNA though. After all, this is a head coach who was trained by the success-obsessed Pat Riley, who’s always made it clear that the Heat’s ultimate goal, year in and year out, regardless of who fills out the roster, is to contend for a championship. That kind of mentality was instilled in Spoelstra early on in his days as the team’s video analyst. So, he pushed forward, and in doing so, made a little history along the way.
If the Heat had continued along the path they seemed to be traveling down in late December/early January, would anyone have really blamed Spoelstra anyway? Probably not. Last summer, nobody expected the Heat to be battling for a playoff spot come April — let alone win 41 games. It would’ve been “understandable” if Miami finished, say 35-47, or worse for that matter.
But the expectations of others have never had anything to do with the standards Spoelstra lives by. He’s not a future Hall of Fame coach because he settles for what’s “expected.” Instead, he has gotten to where he is today by continually striving to shatter expectations. He’s the walking, talking epitome of the “Why not us?” mentality that has helped fuel the success of so many “underdogs” in professional sports history.
Next: No Coach Did More With Less
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