Team USA Assistant Coach Tyronn Lue Speaks Highly Of Erik Spoelstra
Even though Steve Kerr is the coach of Team USA basketball, assistant coach Erik Spoelstra is making his presence known.
In a recent interview with The Athletic, assistant coach Tyronn Lue spoke about how dedicated Spolestra is to the young Olympic team.
“When Steve and Spo speak, they command the room,” Lue said. “The guys really lock in and pay attention. Steve’s more laid back. Spo is more energetic. When Spo’s speaking, he’s more energetic, more, ‘Let’s go.’ And Spo’s doing scouts, which I bet he hasn’t done in 15 years. Steve and Spo are the two best coaches in the NBA, and Spo’s doing scouts. The players should see that. Won two championships, and he’s sacrificing, doing scouts, running drills.”
This is a huge sign of dedication. After leading the Miami Heat to a historic Finals run last season, he took a step back and participated in scouting. The last time he got involved with scouting was in 2001 when he was the Heat’s assistant coach and director of team scouting.
However, this work ethic shouldn’t come as a surprise. In 1995, he started off as the Heat’s video coordinator but when Pat Riley stepped down from his head coaching position, he took over. During his coaching career, he led the Heat to six Finals appearances and back-to-back championships. The Heat only missed the playoffs three times since he took the position. It’s a testament to his coaching style as he’s known for pushing his players to be their best.
With Spoelstra part of the coaching staff, Team USA has a great chance at winning it all.
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Cory Nelson is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson. You can also check out his personal blog HERE.
