Inside The Heat

Miami Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra Adds To Accomplishments With Gold-Medal Victory

Bam Adebayo might have become the only member of the Miami Heat to return home with a second gold medal, but coach Erik Spoelstra is a gold-medal winning coach.

Scott Salomon

Apr 27, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra directs his team against the Boston Celtics in the first half during game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra directs his team against the Boston Celtics in the first half during game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is coming back to Miami with a new title from Paris,

The Team USA assistant is returning as a gold medal-winning coach as The Avengers defeated France in the final 98-87. Steph Curry led the way with 24 points.

Heat center Bam Adebayo also won his second gold medal.

Spoelstra, who won two NBA titles with the Heat, was among the assistants to Steve Kerr. He might not get a medal around his neck, but he is an Olympic champion.

"It's an absolute honor to be part of the USA basketball program," Spoelstra said to USA TODAY last week. "I always want to be a part of it in any shape or fashion, and then to collaborate with these great basketball minds, it's been just an absolute blessing to be able to learn and grow."

Spoelstra took on his first USA Basketball coaching responsibility as head coach of the 2021 USA Select Team, which trained with the 2020 U.S. Olympic team that won gold in Tokyo. Adebayo was also part of that team.

After the semifinal win over Serbia where the United States made a furious 17-point comeback, Spoelstra said he expected the team to fight back,

“That’s why we’re in this business,” Spoelstra said during a televised halftime interview when the Americans were trailing by 11. “We love when the games feel like this.”

Scott Salomon is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at sas@southfloridamedianetwork.com.

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Scott Salomon

SCOTT SALOMON

Scott Salomon joined FanNation on Sports Illustrated in April 2024 covering breaking news and analysis for the Miami Dolphins channel. In June he joined Inside the Heat and Back in the Day NBA. Scott is based in South Florida and has been covering the local and national sports scene for 35 years. Scott has covered and has been credentialed for the Super Bowl, the NFL Combine, various Orange Bowls and college football championship games. Scott was also credentialed for the NBA All-Star game and covered the Miami Heat during their first six seasons for USA TODAY. Scott is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Communication and the St. Thomas University School of Law. Scott has two sons and his hobbies include watching sports on television and binge watching shows on various streaming services. Twitter: @ScottSalomonNFL