On his return to Manila, Erik Spoelstra looks forward to seeing the ‘passionate’ fans again

Erik Spoelstra is amped up to infuse USA basketball with Pinoy passion | Photo from Daniel Costa/Twitter

To no one’s surprise, anticipation was high as Team USA geared up for another friendly basketball exhibition at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi ahead of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Erik Spoelstra, the Filipino-American head coach of the Miami Heat and the assistant head coach of the men’s USA basketball team, couldn’t contain his excitement.

And for good reason: His mother is from the Philippines. “I’m proud to be American, and I’m also very proud of my Filipino heritage,” Spoelstra said in an interview with Arab News in Abu Dhabi.

So imagine what Spoelstra would feel when he comes down to the Philippines for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup and immerses himself once again in the world-famous frenzy of Filipino basketball fans.

"You have to absolutely commit to whatever your process is and attack that process every single day, of trying to get better, take steps forward, without getting caught up in the immediate results that everybody wants to see."

— Erik Spoelstra pic.twitter.com/9IZUGVqMyA

— MADE Hoops (@madehoops) August 9, 2023

“It’s exciting. We’re all going to be in the same place, so I get to see some family and I’m genuinely excited to be in the same place, so I get to see some family and I’m genuinely excited that our players and staff will be able to see how passionate the fan base is in the Philippines,” he said.

Happening from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10 across three countries (Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines), the FIBA Basketball World Cup is arguably the most prestigious international basketball tournament, where 32 teams from all over the world compete against each other. The tournament also serves as a qualification for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Sure, the team may have the likes of Anthony Edwards and Paolo Banchero, but its all-star coaching team gives the impression that Team USA is the team to beat—the Golden State Warriors’ Steve Kerr is at the helm alongside Spoelstra, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Tyronn Lue, and Gonzaga University’s Mark Few providing support.

Safe to say Team USA will be led by All-Star coaching staff in the upcoming World Cup 😳🔥

🇺🇸 Steve Kerr
🇺🇸 Erik Spoelstra
🇺🇸 Tyronn Lue
🇺🇸 Mark Few#FIBAWC #WinForAll pic.twitter.com/4ZFLwgC6Bp

— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) August 10, 2023

Erik Spoelstra: Heritage, heart, and hoops

Given Spoelstra’s deep-seated connection to the country, the tournament will be a heartwarming journey that crosses over heritage, hoops, and, well, food. In particular, his uncle Tony’s lumpia, a Filipino fried spring roll.

“Uncle Tony makes great lumpia, and while I was growing up, he used to send it in the mail,” he said in the same Arab News interview. “He would make lumpia and send it frozen, so we’d get it about once a month. My mom used to make it too, and I used to just munch on that all the time.”

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Another fun fact about the coach who has won two NBA Championships is that he “struggled over” the idea of joining the Miami Heat to play basketball locally as revealed by Tim Cone himself.

“And as it turned out, [Spo] said, ‘I can’t pass up this opportunity. So I went to the Miami Heat instead of coming [to the Philippines].’’’

Looks like Spoelstra made the right decision after all.

Team USA will open their FIBA campaign on Aug. 26 against New Zealand, while Gilas Pilipinas faces off against the Dominican Republic on Aug. 25.