"Doesn't make sense to me" - Miami Heat coach speaks on 'great, proven, experienced' coaches losing jobs
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra discussed the recent trend of NBA coaches losing their jobs. The Philadelphia 76ers dismissed Doc Rivers, who was named one of the top 15 coaches in league history last season, on Tuesday.
"I have been thinking more about great, proven and experienced coaches that have lost their jobs," Spoelstra said. "It doesn't make sense to me. To start again and revamp the whole culture and everything, it takes so much time and energy to restart something."
With the 76ers moving on from Rivers after three seasons of coming up short in the second round of the playoffs, he becomes one of a number of coaches who have been let go by their organizations this season.
Mike Budenholzer, Nick Nurse, Monty Williams, Doc Rivers and Frank Vogel have all been named coaches of the year, with four being NBA champions. Four of them have been dismissed this season, while the LA Lakers fired Vogel after going 33-49 last season.
The Miami Heat organization has been straightforward in their approach with Erik Spoelstra at the helm. "Heat Culture" is celebrated across the league because of their tough brand of basketball with the least amount of talent compared to other elite teams.
Their dedication and loyalty to this culture rivals other teams' search for their own brand of basketball. The Heat have maintained their identity dating to the 1995-96 season with guard Tim Hardaway and coach Pat Riley. Spoelstra, with Riley as the team's president since 1995, has continued the legacy.
Erik Spoelstra's tenure with the Miami Heat organization
Erik Spoelstra started his career with the Miami Heat as a video coordinator in 1995 and was promoted to assistant coach in 2001. He then was promoted, replacing Pat Riley when he stepped down as head coach, starting with the 2008-09 season.
Under Spoelstra's leadership, the Heat secured back-to-back championships (2011-2013) with the big three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
During the 2019-20 season, Spoelstra led Miami, the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, to the NBA Finals against the LA Lakers before losing in six games. He has coached the Heat for 14 seasons, going 697-486 in the regular season along with an impressive 161-96 mark in the postseason.