In a win-or-bust scenario, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra remains calm in eye of the storm
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FILE - In this April 17, 2013 file photo, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra calls out a play during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic in Miami. Only six coaches in NBA history have won back-to-back championships, a club that Erik Spoelstra would be joining if the Miami Heat find a way to win the title again this year. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File) (The Associated Press)
Erik Spoelstra has spent three years talking about sacrifices made by Miami Heat players, how individual egos get checked at the door of the locker room in pursuit of greater goals.
The Heat coach applies the same rules to himself.
Spoelstra doesn't want to know how many coaches have won back-to-back NBA championships — it's seven, by the way. He shakes off any talk about his own legacy or how some around the league think he should be a coach-of-the-year candidate this season. And when conversation is sparked about how he manages such a deep roster, he usually gives credit to his staff.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Heat guard Dwyane Wade says Spoelstra's talent as a manager of talent is overlooked. "He's done it," Wade says.