LeBron James paid tribute to Erik Spoelstra after the Miami Heat coach agreed a record $120million contract extension.
Spoelstra signed an eight-year deal — the largest contract in NBA history in terms of total value for a coach — to ensure that the longest-tenured boss in franchise history only keeps adding to his team records for many years to come.
Spoelstra’s current deal expires after this season and when news of the extension emerged, former Heat star James posted on social media: ‘Worth Every Single Cent of that contract! Congrats Spo!’
LeBron James paid tribute to Erik Spoelstra after the Miami Heat coach agreed a record $120million contract extension.
Spoelstra signed an eight-year deal — the largest contract in NBA history in terms of total value for a coach — to ensure that the longest-tenured boss in franchise history only keeps adding to his team records for many years to come.
Spoelstra’s current deal expires after this season and when news of the extension emerged, former Heat star James posted on social media: ‘Worth Every Single Cent of that contract! Congrats Spo!’
Spoelstra is the league’s second-longest-tenured current coach behind San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich, who is in his 28th season as coach of the Spurs.
Spoelstra’s 725 regular-season wins rank 19th in NBA history and only three coaches — Popovich with the Spurs, Jerry Sloan with Utah and Red Auerbach with Boston — have won more games with one franchise than Spoelstra has with the Heat.
Spoelstra is also an assistant coach for USA Basketball in this Olympic cycle and will be part of head coach Steve Kerr’s staff at the Paris Games this summer.
With Spoelstra at the helm, James led the Miami Heat to NBA titles in both 2012 and 2013
Spoelstra will likely be among the top candidates to take over the Olympic team for the next cycle that will culminate at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
During Spoelstra’s tenure in Miami, no coach in the league has more postseason victories. He has 109 – 10 more than Kerr has had with Golden State.
The Heat put a premium on stability – there have only been six coaches in the franchise’s 36 years.
‘We’ve had incredible stability and consistency over the years,’ Spoelstra said this past fall, when asked about how he’s remained with the Heat for so long. ‘I’ve been very fortunate to work for who I work for.’
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