This appears in the Monday, August 9, 2010 edition of the Business Mirror
Erik Spoelstra comes home
words and picture by rick olivares
Author Thomas Wolfe once wrote a seminal line that has become a commonly used expression about reliving the past. "You can't go back home to your family, back home to your childhood ... back home to a young man's dreams of glory and of fame ... back home to places in the country, back home to the old forms and systems of things which once seemed everlasting but which are changing all the time — back home to the escapes of Time and Memory."
While true, Wolfe never had in mind Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra who says the words “home” and “family” resonate strongly within him.
At an early age, he Spoelstra thought he was in heaven as he got to attend practices and game days with the Portland Trailblazers as his father, Jon, was the Senior Vice President/General Manager of the NBA team. “It certainly whet my appetite for the game,” recounted the younger Spoelstra. “Rip City. “The Breaks of the Game” by David Halberstam – who in Portland didn’t read that book? Captain Jack Ramsey. Rick Adelman. Clyde the Glide. And there was Billy Ray Bates.”
While Erik lived in Portland, the links to his familial past in the Philippines where his mother originated from remained. “My cousins would send stories and whatever they could about the PBA and it was an even bigger thrill to learn that Billy Ray was a star here. ‘The Black Superman!’ That’s a fantastic nickname. It only made his legend grow especially for the people in Portland who saw what he did for the Blazers in that short amount of time.”
At Oregon’s famed Jesuit High School (Mike Dunleavy Jr. of the Golden State Warriors and NFL players Pete Brock of the New England Patriots and Mike Hass of the Seattle Seahawks are a few notable alumni), Erik became the star point guard of the Crusaders. And it was there his English teacher and basketball coach Herm Schattenberg imbued him with values that would be a huge part of his character makeup. “Coach Herm and Jesuit High had a huge impact on me at a very young age. I learned discipline, the value of hard work, and teaching others. I understand that education is a thrust of the Jesuits. Little did I know that later, I’d be following them through coaching which is still teaching,” he laughed.
Spoelstra also ran the point for the University of Portland Pilots after which he played for the Hertener Lions for two years in Germany. It was there where he got his first brush with coaching. “That was my break. I came in first as a player and then as a playing coach. And I realized that it’s something I could do.” he said. “On my way back to the United States and still unsure of my basketball career, I thought about going to the Philippines to try my luck out with a PBA club. And I thought that it would also be retracing Billy Ray Bates’ steps. Only I never got to do that and instead went to join the Miami Heat. It’s one of the things that I regret most in my life -- being unable to play in the PBA.”
“One of the things that I regret most in my life is being unable to play in the PBA.” Erik Spoelstra
While he was unable to fulfill his PBA dream, Spoelstra, who is back in Manila for only the third time in his life, is here to promote the health and wellness program of NBA Fit through clinics and a training camp. And Spoelstra will make the most out of his 10-day stay to visit his mother Elisa’s hometown of San Pablo City, Laguna, for a homecoming with relatives. “I’m equal parts excited and nervous. I honestly don’t know who is feeling more that way – me or my relatives.” joked Spoelstra.
Having run the point practically all his life, Spoelstra can appreciate the fact that the one-spot position is an extension of the coach. But for the Miami Heat, that extension isn’t solely superstar Dwyane Wade. “I’d say that arguably the most important position on a team is the point guard. But in this day, teams are built differently and you see hybrid players who have those leadership qualities. Udonis Haslem is one of them and he is able to communicate what the coach wants and to think that he plays the power forward position! But Udonis is all about heart, discipline, and loyalty and that is why he is our team captain. He’s a hometown boy being from Miami and he played for Billy Donovan with the Florida Gators. Bringing him back was the easiest thing to do and he could have gotten more if he went to another team. There is no better person to bring along the journey than Udonis Haslem.”
Pat Riley, Miami Heat President and General Manager, reciprocated Spoelstra’s loyalty, work ethic and discipline when he said, “He is why our team will follow him.”
During the press conference that launched the NBA Fit in the Philippines, Spoelstra sat next to Dr. Mario Capanzana, the Director of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of Department of Science and Technology. Spoelstra listened intently to what the government official had to report on the state of health and wellness in the country. And when the 45-minute press conference was done, he spoke with Capanzana briefly about his findings on overnutrition and malnutrition. “I think you learn more by paying attention,” said Spoelstra afterwards. “Hopefully, because of the high visibility of the NBA, it will bring greater attention to the state of health in the Philippines.”
“It’s good to be back in the Philippines. The voices of support have been overwhelming not just in the huge Filipino communities in the United States but also here. It’s always good to go back and hopefully, we can do this on a regular basis. There’s a lot of catching up to do.”
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