11/26/25 09:50:00
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11/26 21:49 CST Erik Spoelstra had no idea why he was getting drenched in the
locker room. His 800th win was why
Erik Spoelstra had no idea why he was getting drenched in the locker room. His
800th win was why
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer
MIAMI (AP) --- Water bottles were getting dumped on Miami coach Erik Spoelstra
from all angles in a joyous locker room after the Heat beat the Milwaukee Bucks
in an NBA Cup game, and the scene caught him off-guard.
The water-pourers wanted to celebrate his 800th career win.
And Spoelstra had no idea what was happening.
"I was very confused," Spoelstra said Wednesday night. "I was calculating that
maybe we've qualified for the Cup. Then I'm looking around and nobody else is
getting water dumped on them, and I'm like, ?Wait a minute --- what's going on
here?'"
That was when Spoelstra learned of the milestone. He's the 17th coach in NBA
history to win that many games and only the third to do it with one team,
joining San Antonio's Gregg Popovich and Utah's Jerry Sloan.
"It hasn't sunk in yet because I wasn't aware of it. It's fitting that it comes
on the eve of Thanksgiving," Spoelstra said. "I just feel incredible gratitude
for this organization and all of these years. I'm having a hell of a time. I
love what I do, I love coaching, I love this profession, I love working for
this organization, I love working for --- and with --- amazing players and
staff."
The milestone comes a few weeks after Spoelstra lost his home to a massive
fire. His children were not there at the time --- they were with their mother
that night --- and Spoelstra was returning home from a road trip when the fire
started. He hasn't missed a day of work and the Heat haven't missed a beat;
they're 13-6 this season, third-best in the Eastern Conference.
"It's huge. I'm trying to think of how old I was when Spo probably got his
first one and then to be where he is now --- he's got 800 of them --- is
insane," Heat guard Tyler Herro said. "It's great to be a part of a great
organization who's historically been one of the top."
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
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