Miami Heat's Erik Spoelstra Thanks Pat Riley For Assisting In Contract Extension

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra comments for the first time on new eight-year, $120 million contract extension

Before the Miami Heat faced the Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday, coach Erik Spoelstra spoke about his latest accomplishment. 

On Tuesday, Spoelstra and the Heat agreed to an eight-year, $120-million contract extension. 

"It goes without saying it's unheard of in this business," Spoelstra said. "You don't want to take that for granted. It's very humbling to be able to have that kind of continued stability."

Spoelstra gave credit mostly to Heat team president Pat Riley, who has guided his career since he began as a video coordinator.  

"Pat is the biggest mentor I've ever had in my life," Spoelstra said. "This is a very unique position to be in, in any professional sport and I just value that Pat understands that because he's done it before me. He's guided me through all of the madness of this business." 

After starting as a video coordinator, Spoelstra was introduced as coach at the beginning of the 2008-09 season. He has since posted a 725-506 record and is 109-75 in the postseason. The Heat have won two titles in six appearances in the NBA Finals. Last year they became the second No. 8 seed to make the Finals, joining the 1999 New York Knicks. The Heat fell short last June, falling to Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

Spoelstra is second-longest tenured coach in the league behind Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs. The NBA recently named Spoelstra as one of the top 15 coaches in NBA history. 

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Shandel Richardson covers the Miami Heat for Inside The Heat, a Fan Nation channel for Sports Illustrated. He has covered the NBA since 2010.

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