Former Miami Heat stars in Dwyane Wade and LeBron James reacted to head coach Erik Spoelstra agreeing to a lucrative eight-year contract extension with the team.
Worth Every Single Cent of that contract!!! Congrats Spo!! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🫡 https://t.co/ETFBnAZGqA
— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 10, 2024
Spo!!!!!!!!! 💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰 Earned!
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) January 10, 2024
Spoelstra has been the head coach of the Heat since the 2008-09 season. During his decade-plus stint as the team’s head coach, he has led the Heat to six NBA Finals appearances and two titles in 2012 and 2013.
Both of Spoelstra’s titles with the Heat came when he was coaching James, Wade and Chris Bosh.
The Boston Celtics were arguably Miami’s toughest playoff opponent during its 2012 title run. Three of Boston’s best players in Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett were all past their primes at that stage of their careers, but the Celtics still pushed Miami to the brink of elimination, as the team held a 3-2 series lead against the Heat at one point. James and the Heat had to win the final two games of the series to eliminate the Celtics in seven games.
After sending the Celtics home, Miami outplayed the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2012 NBA Finals, as the Heat beat them in five games to win the title.
As for the toughest opponents for Spoelstra and the Heat during their 2013 title run, both the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs gave Miami a run for its money.
Both teams took the Heat to seven games, and the Spurs even owned a 3-2 series lead against Miami in the NBA Finals like Boston did during the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals. James took home the 2013 Finals MVP award for Miami, as he averaged 25.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 2.3 steals per game during the championship series while shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from outside the 3-point arc.
Spoelstra is already one of the more accomplished head coaches in NBA history at 53 years old, and he will only continue to add to his resume in the coming seasons. Hopefully he will win his third NBA title as the head coach of the Heat in June.
