Erik Spoelstra
I really find comfort in watching film and obtaining knowledge and I use statistics and computer generated stuff to help me get those stats. That was probably a result of my father's influence on me at a young age.Collection: Knowledge
I think it's gonna take a sincere empathy and compassion for people of all races, to really reflect and process on the true history of the black community in this country. The history has been filled with incredible oppression and we really have to acknowledge that, to start to change the lens of how we see true equality.Collection: Equality
It's not just about winning or losing, but to learn about teamwork, learn about sportsmanship, learn about discipline. The value of working together for a common goal. Have the emphasis on fundamentals, not just games.
Everybody overestimates what you can do in a day and underestimates what you can do in months of work.
Nothing is absolutely 100 percent guaranteed.
We're not above a Game 7. We're not above competition.
I have to be true to myself, and that's what I know for sure. I can't try to be anybody else.
When you work for Pat Riley, you're not just putting your hands on the basket and hanging out during practice. He puts you in positions where you have to coach. You have to be enthusiastic and fierce with your preparation and work ethic.
When you're usually competing and contending, you're not relying on younger players to produce for you.
We don't teach player development in that way, to be able to try to trick the officials or make sounds or jerk your head back.
I hate this quality, but I can go to dark levels when we lose. It's not a panic attack, but there's anxiety. I'm inconsolable. I'm a train wreck. I'm being myself. Then I get this crazy, intense focus, where I get desperate not to be embarrassed again. That dark spot is what I tap into. Creativity comes from there.
My first year in Miami, I didn't even know it was sunny during the winter.
It's always easier to sacrifice when you're not the one who has to do it.
I've always loved Air Jordans. My favorite one was the Air Jordan No. 1 with the black front. What's ironic about that is I don't own a pair of those. I probably have countless pairs but they're my favorite ones. I had the poster in my room. Those are my favorite Jordan shoes of all time. I've just never bought them for myself.
I only knew that I didn't like the AAU culture. I knew that if I had a chance someday, that I would love to be able to, even if it was a small drop in a bucket, to be able to change the culture and be a part of a positive change.
A coach-player relationship in this league often will be confrontational at times. And other times, it's smooth sailing. But just the dynamic of the competitive nature of everybody, expectations, results - all these things combine, yeah, sometimes it will get testy. And that's good.
Simplicity is often one of the greatest strengths.
When I see a league with a lot of change and turnover, yes, there's a lot of big narratives out there, but I see opportunity.
You can't stay who you are... Things change and you have to be able to adapt.
True success in the N.B.A., you must have consistency of culture.
Bam understands the concept of a team and bringing out more out of somebody else, and he finds enjoyment and pride out of making somebody else better.
You have to be able to compete, put yourself out there, make yourself vulnerable, to go for something that you want.
Basketball is a beautiful game and it's afforded all of us in this profession so many things. To give back any time we can is gratifying.
Obviously, I've been very fortunate to be able to work for a Hall of Famer, to be able to coach a lot of Hall of Famers.
Dwyane is just sensational. Look, he has all the qualities of a champion, of a winner, of a Hall of Fame player and talent, but his humanity, empathy and his ability to articulate his feelings separates him from everybody else.
Zones are easier just to throw out there and you don't have to really teach it.
So much of this league is just about alignment. Who cares what you believe in, who cares what your culture is, can you get a group of people that are aligned?
I'm a stay-in-the-present momentist.
It doesn't matter whether you're a former player or you come up through the video room, whether you come from college. You have to earn that trust from NBA players every day.
The more that we've tried to think conventionally in terms of guys playing just a specific position, it restricted us a little bit.
When players come in and we talk to them about what it means to be a Miami Heat player, we point them at Udonis Haslem.
It's really a shame for the coaching profession that it's so volatile.
It's amazing how much things can get exaggerated.
I'm going to demand. I'm going to push and prod. And a lot of times, players don't know what is needed for a team to break through.
Come on, if you lose, no one's going to be happy and nor should they be.
You're all over the place usually with young players. You're trying to manage their emotions and teach them NBA situations. It usually takes months, even years, to learn and recognize NBA situations and then to develop a level of competitiveness that's necessary at this level.
You obviously have to build a culture, a foundation. You must build the right talent however you do it. Then you have to build the systems and the habits.
The reality is that luck does play a part of it. It does. Ultimately it's a make or miss league.
We're always trying to evolve and find more efficient ways, more fluent ways to evaluate our players, evaluate our opponent and evaluate our prospects.
I've never really been a barbecue guy.
When I was a player I'd black out and shoot for hours.
South Floridians, we can relate to storms where you just brace and hold your breath and even when you're holding your breath you know the worst is coming.
Some people might think they need to venture out on their own to create their own image. I do not have any of those kind of feelings.
When my grandfather was a journalist for the Detroit Tigers, he dressed the part. I mention it always to our local media: sport coat, tie, very professional and a nice cap on his head. And they also developed very close friendships with the players and staff traveling.
I think what we focus on is every game is a different challenge, and you have to find ways to put yourself in position to win, and you have to have a resourcefulness, and it's not always going to go according to play.
This league does teach you that it's inevitable that there's constant change, and you always have to continue to embrace change, adapt with change.
It is terrific to be involved with changing people's perceptions, and the world is changing.
If you want something badly enough, you'll figure it out.
Yes, there's more access to film than when I first came into the league, but because of it there's a desire to see more and study more and cover more.
Sometimes, you have a hunch and then you find numbers that substantiate that, it makes either the staff or the players say, 'OK, let's fix that.'