Earlier in the week, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra’s home in Coral Gables, Fla., was destroyed in a large fire. He allegedly purchased the residence — which included five bedrooms and six bathrooms — back in December of 2023.
While it’s of course unfortunate what happened to Spoelstra’s house, he made it clear that he’s not concerned about the material possessions lost and rather is relieved that none of his loved ones were scathed by the blaze. Spoelstra said that his children weren’t at the home at the time of the fire.
“Things in the house, those things can be replaced,” Spoelstra said. “And if they can’t be replaced, what does it really matter? This is really what matters. Family, the closest ones, our dog also was safe, thank God. We’re just grateful. We’re grateful that everybody is safe and in a great place.”
Spoelstra could have taken a break from work in light of the tragic fire, as Miami’s front office offered him a few days off, but he declined that offer. He said his children inspired him to get right back on the coaching horse.
“The kids wanted to come to the game tonight,” he said. “So, I figured if they want to come to the game, then I’d better work. The routine has been good for us today.”
The longtime head coach of the Heat acknowledged his family’s resiliency to boot.
“Spoelstras are resilient,” he said.
It would be understandable if the personal tragedy Spoelstra just went through negatively impacted his ability to lead the Heat, but that hasn’t appeared to be the case at all. In fact, Miami hasn’t lost in the two games he’s patrolled the sidelines since the fire, as the team blew out the Charlotte Hornets on Friday and just recently beat a Portland Trail Blazers team that’s been surprisingly competitive on Saturday.
Spoelstra has coached the Heat to a respectable 6-4 record on the season up to this point, and that’s with a lot of their best players dealing with injuries as well. Guard Tyler Herro hasn’t made his season debut yet after a career year last season, and big man Bam Adebayo and guard Norman Powell have both missed time.
Miami can work its way up the standings by lengthening its current winning streak in the coming days and weeks, but it has a big test looming on Monday. The Heat will take on the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are riding a winning streak of their own. They’ve won each of their last four games, and guard Donovan Mitchell has been on a heater as of late.