"Heat Culture Past & Present": LeBron James reunites with Erik Spoelstra for candid picture alongside Bam Adebayo and Jaime Jaquez Jr.
LeBron James and Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra were all smiles as they posed candidly for a picture alongside Bam Adebayo and Jaime Jaquez Jr. For the 4x NBA champion, the moment was even special as it saw him reunite with his former coach who he won two NBA championships with. James took to Instagram to share the image and had a wholesome caption for it.
Emphasizing Heat Culture — a set of core values, expectations, commitments, and customs that Miami uses to function as a team and an organization — James wrote in his story:
"Heat Culture Past & Present"
James played under Spoelstra when he was traded to the Heat in 2010. Together with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, James won two titles in his four seasons with the Eastern Conference outfit. He is also reported to share a good relationship with the Miami head coach, and the proof is in the pudding.
The 39-year-old had earlier taken to Twitter (formerly X) to congratulate Spoelstra on his contract extension with the Heat.
Both LeBron James and Erik Spoelstra have had contrasting runs since the former departed from South Beach. While James went on to win two more titles, the Heat have been potential playoff teams with a few deeper runs. They are yet to win a title after last bagging it in 2013.
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was not surprised by LeBron James' intensity during Team USA practice
Steve Kerr, the head coach of Team USA was stumped when he saw LeBron James hit the hardwood with the same intensity that he approached the NBA season with. However, his deputy, Erik Spoelstra was not one bit surprised. The Golden State Warriors head coach narrated the sequence soon after.
“I was blown away by how hard he practices.And I went to [assistant coach Ty Lue] and [assistant coach Erik Spoelstra] and I said, ‘Is this normal?’ They said, ‘Every day, every day.’ To Spo, I said, ‘What about way back when you got him?’ Spo said, ‘Every day. Every drill, every walkthrough.’”
Both Lue and Spoelstra have seen and worked with James in close quarters. Spoelstra coached the superstar for four seasons with the Heat, while Lue guided him and Kyrie Irving to a historic NBA championship in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
LeBron James has made abundantly clear that the objective was to win another gold while repping USA colors. He is a 2x gold medal winner, and the 2024 roster gives him the best chance to add another to the tally.