The NBA Finals are an intense and passionate time for everyone involved, and Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra let some of his emotions get the best of him during his press conference following Game 2.
NBA Finals: Spoelstra Apologizes To Reporter After Game 2 Comments
“That’s ridiculous. That’s just… that’s the untrained eye saying something like that. This guy is an incredible player… You can’t just say, ‘oh let’s make him a scorer.’”
Erik Spoelstra on making Nikola Jokic a scorer or a passer.
(via @TomerAzarly) pic.twitter.com/FI7I3jC4jg
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 5, 2023
ESPN reporter Ramona Shelburne was posing a question to Spoelstra after the Heat had just pulled off a close-fought victory. She was wondering about Miami’s strategy against the most dominant center in the game, given that the Nuggets tend to struggle as a team in the win column when Nikola Jokić puts up huge scoring numbers.
Shelburne was in the middle of posing a question about whether Miami’s game plan was to attempt to turn Jokic into a scorer rather than a passer, pointing out that his low output of 4 assists could have been strategic. Before she was able to finish the question, Spoelstra interrupted:
“Yeah that’s ridiculous…that’s the untrained eye that says something like that…You can’t just say ‘make him a scorer.'”
Erik Spoelstra has been intense and fiery in his comments and press conferences throughout the season, and understandably so. He is the leader of a team that is making one of the most improbable runs in NBA Playoffs history, one that is driven by culture and motivation. So the fact that he continued the intensity was not surprising, though it certainly came off as a rude way to answer the question.
“Erik Spoelstra and I are fine. We talked after the game, he watched that clip back and texted me saying, ‘Sorry. I don’t know why I said that.'”
Ramona Shelburne on her viral exchange with the Miami Heat head coach after Game 2pic.twitter.com/TkpBxTkpdP https://t.co/SI3J6caleY
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 7, 2023
But he has apparently since apologized. Shelburne appeared on NBA Today on ESPN on Wednesday morning and addressed the situation first hand:
“Look, Erik Spoelstra and I are fine. We talked after the game, he watched that clip back and texted me this morning saying ‘Sorry I don’t know why I said that.’…In the heat of the moment, after a game like that, when things are intense, people say things and nothing is personal, especially this time of year.”
It is a good look for Spoelstra, who is understandably under a high amount of stress during this time. But taking the time out to apologize for something that we all saw happen was a nice move for the Heat coach.
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