MIAMI—Other than being widely known by just the first syllable of their surnames, the coaches who will match wits in these NBA Finals may seem like polar opposites.
Of course, they would probably disagree with that assertion.
Miami’s Erik Spoelstra wears sharp suits and is a stats guy; San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich often skips the tie and would immeasurably prefer to answer questions about wine than anything about himself. Both are intensely private, but even during an NBA Finals loaded with star power—the “Big Three” from Miami, the “Big Three” from San Antonio, a four-time MVP in LeBron James, a four-time champion in Tim Duncan—the coaches will share misery in one way.
To their chagrin, “Spo” and “Pop” will be in the spotlight.
“It’s easier to talk about how they are similar versus how they are dissimilar,” said ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy, a former NBA coach who is part of the broadcast team for the series that opened Thursday in Miami. “They are both going to the Hall of Fame. They both have tremendous respect from the coaches they coach against, and they both have a level of humility that I believe shows NBA coaching in the most positive light possible.”
Spoelstra is in the finals for the third straight year and is looking for a second consecutive championship. Popovich is going for his fifth title, the last of the ones currently in his collection coming over James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007, and could join Phil Jackson as the only coaches to win championships in three different decades.
So far, only Jackson, Red Auerbach, John Kundla and Pat Riley—Spoelstra’s mentor and boss in Miami—have five rings as a head coach.
“Maybe I don’t show it the way I should, but it’s pretty special,” Popovich said, in a rare moment of near-sheepishness, after his team beat Memphis and won the West title for a fifth time.
Spoelstra took over for Riley five seasons ago, has won nearly twice as many games as he’s lost, and has endured a constant circus of distractions ever since the Heat acquired James and Chris Bosh to play alongside Dwyane Wade in 2010.
San Antonio hasn’t had anywhere near that sort of scrutiny; being in a smaller market helps keep the level of attention down.
By now, Spoelstra doesn’t even notice what he calls “the noise.” Even in the din of an Eastern Conference championship celebration on Monday night—actually during the trophy presentation ceremony—Spoelstra found his mind drifting away from the grind of facing the Indiana Pacers and onto the next challenge, this duel with the Spurs for the NBA title.
“It’s one of those few times in competitive team sports you’re not thinking about tomorrow, you’re not thinking about the previous games, you’re not thinking about what possibly may happen, you’re not thinking about the reward.
All you’re thinking about is the desperation of that moment,” Spoelstra said. “That’s a great place to live.”
With files from The Canadian Press
