Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat is considered one of the smartest and most talented head coaches in the NBA.
But he has only been one part of the team’s success over the years and he credits Miami’s competitiveness and drive to team president Pat Riley.
Speaking with SiriusXM NBA Radio, Spoelstra talked about his admiration for Riley, who really founded the culture of the team.
Spoelstra claimed that Riley is in better shape now than he ever has been and is still fighting hard and expecting a lot from the Heat.
He loves collaborating with Riley and said, “This is the kind of workplace that I always dreamt about being part of.”
“This is the kind of workplace that I always dreamt about being part of.”
HC Erik Spoelstra shares how much he admires Pat Riley
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Spoelstra has been leading the Heat since the 2008-09 season.
Before that, he was an assistant under Riley and the two grew very close.
Since Riley became president of the Heat after leaving the head coach position, these two had to work in tandem.
They get along well, have the same goals, and want to direct the team to success no matter how tough the competition is.
According to Spoelstra, Riley has a strong belief in his team but demands a lot from them.
He is ready for the new season to kick off so they can prove they are still competitive and have what it takes to thrive in an increasingly hard conference.
This duo has found tremendous success and Heat fans hope they stay together for years to come.
Even when they aren’t playing well, the Heat are never fully counted out and that’s largely because Spoelstra and Riley are running the show.
