Shaquille O'Neal speculates Erik Spoelstra's divorce with Nikki Sapp may have delayed $120 million extension: "Hell of a chess move"
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra is now the highest-paid coach in NBA history. He recently signed an eight-year contract extension worth $120 million. San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich formerly held the record with his contract worth $80 million. Not only did Spoelstra break coach Pop's record, but he also set a new record for being the only coach to make at least $100 million.
Shaquille O'Neal recently gave his thoughts on Erik Spoelstra's latest achievement. O'Neal speculated that the Heat organization might've timed the astounding contract extension perfectly, considering that Spoelstra recently went through a divorce. Shaq cheekily expressed insult to injury towards Erik's ex-wife Nikki Sapp by pointing out she no longer gets a share from his new contract:
"So apparently Erik Spoelstra has been going through a divorce," O'Neal said. "So his divorce got final and a couple of days later they [Miami Heat] made him one of the highest paid NBA coaches ever. ... I don't think they did that on purpose, but if they did, that's a hell of a chess move."
Erik Spoelstra signs a $120 million contract; Nikki Sapp no longer entitled to a share
Most people agree that Erik Spoelstra is one of the best NBA coaches if not the best, and to match his high regard, he received his record-breaking contract. Spoelstra's eight-year, $120 million contract extension with the Miami Heat is not just the biggest sum of money ever committed to an NBA coach, but also the highest amount of money committed to any North American coach in any sport.
Even though the settlement's specifics are unknown, it's quite likely that Sapp will not be able to obtain any shares under Spoelsta's new deal considering the coach signed the contract after the divorce.
However, readers should take these pieces of information with a grain of salt. Given how Erik Spoelstra's divorce and agreements weren't made public, it is not entirely sure if he and Nikki Sapp agreed to have financial benefits beyond the conclusion of their marriage.