Head coach Erik Spoelstra has signed a record-breaking 8-year $120+ million contract extension with the Miami Heat. His contract is the most committed coaching contract in NBA history, and it also makes Spoelstra one of the highest-paid coaches in the league. Spoelstra has earned every bit of his historic contract extension. In his 15 years as the Heat head coach, he has led Miami to 6 NBA Finals and 2 Championships. The Heat players trust him to make the right decisions and lead them to another title this season.

However, that was not the case in 2010. A viral tweet by Shams Charania 13 years ago caught everyone’s eye when a newly appointed Eric Spoelstra was being doubted by his own players.

LeBron James and Co. doubted Erik Spoelstra when he started

NBA Insider Shams Charania broke the news about Erik Spoelstra’s historic contract extension earlier today. That led to a 13-year-old tweet by Shams going viral on social media. “Heat players already complaining. RT @espn: Sources: Miami Heat players questioning if Erik Spoelstra is right coach.” Shams tweeted on November 29, 2010. The tweet was removed from the platform after it started going viral. Only one year into Spoelstra’s head coaching job, LeBron James brought his talents to South Beach. Miami’s expectations increased tenfold as they formed the new Big 3 of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.

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But it took some time for a young Erik Spoelstra to figure things out with the Big 3. The Heat started the 2010-11 season 9-8 and did not dominate like the fans expected. According to a report by Chris Broussard, the Heat players were unhappy with Spoelstra’s leadership and were questioning if he was the right coach to lead them to a Championship.

“We’re 9-and-8. We’re all in this together. The players are not doing a good job. The coach is not doing a good job.” Dwyane Wade said in an interview after losing four of five games in 2010.

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Erik Spoelstra redeemed himself after a shaky start

Erik Spoelstra soon realized his mistakes in 2010 and made adjustments to the Miami Heat lineup. He led LeBron James and Co. to the 2nd spot in the Eastern Conference standings with a 58-24 record. They eventually went to the NBA Finals and lost to the Dallas Mavericks. That historic run proved Spoelstra’s worth to the Miami Heat players and solidified him as their head coach during the Big 3 era.

It did not take long for Spoelstra to get over the hump after that season. He led Miami to back-to-back Championships in 2012 and 2013. Erik Spoelstra is the longest-tenured head coach in Miami Heat history, and his new contract has secured his place in Miami for 8 more years.

Do you think Spo can mastermind the Heat to another title in his reign? Or will they regret not getting Damian Lillard in the off-season?

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