Erik Spoelstra USA Men's Basketball Press Conference

Erik Spoelstra USA Men’s Basketball Press Conference | October 16, 2025

[Music] Good afternoon everyone and welcome to USA basketball’s men’s national team head coach press conference. My name is Jason Jackson. Welcome to the Heat House. I am the television host and radio voice for the Miami Heat. It’s my absolute pleasure on behalf of USA basketball to welcome you here to our building and have this fantastic announcement today. I’m excited to be joined by USA basketball men’s national team managing director Grant Hill and heat head coach Eric Spolstra. Eric’s family is here. His sister Monica with us today. His children Shago, Dante, and Ruby as well. like to acknowledge officials from USA basketball CEO Jim Tolley is with us today as well as USA basketball men’s national team director Sean Ford. Grant, it’s all yours. Take it over. All right. Thank you, Jason. And uh thank you all for for being here this afternoon. Certainly want to give a special thank you and a shout out to uh Nick Erison and his lovely parents, of course, Pat Riley, and the entire Miami Heat organization. Uh we uh at USA Basketball are beyond thrilled to make this announcement and um you know, Coach Postra uh represents everything we strive to be. Uh, and so we’re just grateful, thankful, ecstatic to name Eric Spolstra as the next US men’s national team coach. Thanks, coach. Right. [Applause] Well, when we went out to dinner, uh, Grant and, uh, Sean Ford and I, uh, just right across the street, uh, Grant started the conversation off by saying, “Hey, we would like to, uh, name you.” And at that point, I said, “I’m in. It didn’t matter what what came after that. Uh it’s the honor of a lifetime. Uh you know, and my experience uh in the last two summers uh were so transformational. Uh I understand the expectations and the responsibility uh of this position. Uh but uh I’m thrilled uh to be the head coach. uh and you don’t get to this point obviously with a out a lot of other uh amazing people and uh you know I I do want to uh point to Nick Harrison he’s here somewhere um his dad Mickey uh they’ve created this culture uh you know my my father uh has been such a a big impact uh in my life uh as a basketball person but the greatest mentor, basketball mentor in my life has been Coach Riley. And I would never be in this position without the success that we’ve had here at the Miami Heat. We’ve had so many uh really good teams. We’ve been able to get to the mountaintop. Uh and we are regarded as a winning organization and that’s because of the leadership uh from Mickey Harrison and Pat. uh and we become beneficiaries uh of that. Uh so I’m so grateful for the opportunity of these 30 years to be able to work for the Heat uh to have this opportunity with USA basketball. Uh and uh I do want to thank uh Grant uh and Sean and Jim Tulie uh for this opportunity uh because there are a lot of amazing coaches out there. I I understand that. I I respect that. Uh there’s a culture with USA basketball and I know there will be thoughts about a culture of the Miami Heat which we feel strongly about, but the culture of USA basketball uh is one of a great history. It’s a culture of service where you have the best American players that raise their hand. that say I want to volunteer for this and represent our country at the highest level. Uh there’s a culture of a competitive spirit uh to rise to the challenge uh and to not shy away from these expectations. There’s massive expectations uh when you put on that USA jersey. We’ve had uh incredible success uh over the years. Uh and you want everybody to embrace that and not shy away from that. Uh there’s a culture of sacrifice where when you sign up uh for this program that it’s not necessarily going to be the role uh that you had in the NBA even for players or staff alike. Uh I think it’s really important for staff members uh to come in like myself as an assistant coach or select team coach uh before that. That’s part of the culture of USAB. Uh it’s all about uh coming together for a greater goal and a greater good. Uh and then one of the the pillars um of USAB was really important for me uh in this decision and I talked uh at length with Sean and Grant about it and Steve Kerr uh when I was asked to be an assistant coach uh for this last tour, the World Cup and and the Olympics. Uh but the pillar of being a culture of a family atmosphere one resonated uh with me because of our culture here with the heat uh but also uh because I have three young kids um that I wanted to make sure that uh it was feasible uh it’s a six- week commitment you know for two summers uh but the culture of family with USAB is simply remarkable uh the experience that uh we had uh as the family uh at the Olympics uh will be memories that we’ll have for the rest of our lives. Um so I I I couldn’t be uh more uh thrilled about this opportunity. Um and I’m really looking forward to the challenge. Before we move forward, I think it’s important that we invite some special guests in the room. Ladies and gentlemen, the 202526 Miami Heat. Yeah, folks. [Music] [Applause] USA. [Laughter] [Applause] USA. All right. I want to see uh Nico Pella, I want you guys come to the front. Vlad, I want to hear it. Nico, I want to see it. Yeah, you too. Simo, Simo, I want to see it. All right. Appreciate you guys. Yeah. Thank you. All right. That’s fantastic. Passing down the line there. Handing out the flags, gentlemen. I appreciate it. Yeah, it was great to see the Canadian guys up front going hard. Going hard. Uh Grant, let’s let’s start off our questioning with you. Uh this is the most successful team in history. We’re talking about 17 gold medals, five World Cups. as you were considering who’s next for this role, what is it about Spo that gave you the confidence that that he’s the right person? Yeah. Well, you know, as as Spo mentioned, we do uh spend a considerable amount of time together during these journeys and um you know, I had admired him from afar, having played against his teams, uh knowing that they were well coached, they were prepared, uh they played basketball of course the right way, uh working in television, watching closely uh him from afar, but working with him for those two summers, um his leadership skills, basketball intellect, ability to connect with people, players, his staff, um his ability to collaborate. I mean, just kind of checked all the boxes. And I came away even more impressed uh with him as a coach, as a leader, as a man, as a father. And um he’s thrilled. We are thrilled. I mean, we got our guy. And uh when we had that dinner um you know a few months ago to gauge his interest um you know I was I was nervous you know I mean this is we we knew that it was a possibility. We had talked a little bit about it in theory but um I don’t think I’ve been happier uh this year than than when he said yes I’m in. And uh so we’re lucky that we have uh you know, coach Bo committed. Uh as he said, there’s some great candidates out there. We have some great coaches uh in the league in the NBA. Um but we uh we felt like we got the right guy here. And you think about the legacy of USA basketball and the coaches that have come before. You can go back to Hank IBA and Dean Smith, Bobby Knight, John Thompson, Chuck Daly. I’m I’m probably missing some names. Coach K, I can’t forget that name. Um, and, uh, that’s rarified air, but he belongs in that conversation. So, um, I’m just excited to kind of roll up our sleeves and get started. And uh we know it won’t be easy, but uh we feel great about our leadership, our coaching, and um about the upcoming uh international competitions we have in the next few years. Spo, as we all know, the games are in Los Angeles in 2028. First time it’s been on American soil since 1996. What does it mean to have the opportunity to be the head coach for these games? Well, there’s a great history obviously with USAB uh and you have to understand the history of the program uh and how the program has had success uh over the years. Uh look, the game is where it should be right now. It is a global game. Players and teams are coming from every country uh in the world. Uh and it’s never been more competitive than it is right now. And and that’s where it should be. This is a beautiful game. Uh the competition uh is what it’s all about. Uh and now uh you know the competition for the 28 Olympics are in are on our home soil. Uh and that absolutely has to excite you. Uh we don’t have to talk about yet uh you know who the players will be. I mean there’s there’s time you know for that but there is a call to action. Yeah. This is a time for the very best American players uh to raise their hand and want to play on this team uh because of what you’ve seen in the recent competitions. Uh and part of that culture that I mentioned a few minutes ago that’s real. You have to want this. You have to embrace it. You have to absolutely feel alive by the challenge of all of it. Uh and that’s the beauty of it. Uh and then I just also would like to uh make a personal note about that. U coach Riley’s always taught me to think symbolically, right? Uh and and I do just want to to uh make a nod to coach uh you know the games are in LA. uh and that’s where he had so much success uh over the years and uh he’s mentored me in so many ways that uh you know I just think there there is some synchronicity you know to it um and uh and I do want to honor him and and honor USAB and honor all the Americans out there and uh eventually have that team that everybody has so much pride in. Grant, we can focus so much on the Olympics, but there’s work to be done before that in 27, the FIA World Cup. The USA looks to improve on that fourth place finish uh from 2023. And as coach just noted, the international federations all over the world, they’re all getting better every single year. So, what will Spo and those players need to have the success that USAB has expectation-wise for FIFA World Cup? Yeah. No, I’m I’m glad you you brought that up. Certainly we we all are excited about hosting the Olympics in 28 but the World Cup comes first and uh unlike the Olympics which you have 12 countries represented there u and playing for you know a chance to win a gold medal the world cup there are 32 countries and it’s a little bit of a longer stretch you play more games and um it’s hard it’s hard and we have not fared well as you said I don’t we haven’t meddled since 2014 14. So, um, you know, we have an opportunity to improve upon that. Uh, Spo and I were were together in Manila in 23 and and went through that uh the highs and the lows of that experience. Um, I know I’ll I’ll do better in terms of, you know, putting together uh the best roster we possibly can. Uh, I’ve learned a great deal since that experience. Uh but it won’t be easy and um but we’re in it to to win and we understand uh the rest of the world has you know has grown. The game is expanded as it should and um you know as I say it’s great for the NBA. It makes it tough for us but we’re not afraid of tough and we welcome that challenge. Um but it it’s not easy. It’s not easy at all and and that’s the first order of business and we uh we strive to do better than what we’ve done in recent years and um that’s the goal and um we’ll get after it and uh do the best job we can. Going to open the floor to questions. Please raise your hand and wait for the microphone. Before asking your question, please state your name and affiliation, please. Joe Varden with the Athletic. I’m glad you guys were talking about the World Cup because that’s what was on my mind. Um, can you can you do better while still sending the younger players? I guess that’s that’s the easiest way to say this. The the deeper way would be do you plan on sending the same type of roster that you’ve sent to the previous two World Cups? And then for you, Spo, what do you think your role is in recruiting the next set of World Cup players? Well, well, I’ll start off. Um, look, we still we have some time and and one of the great things is to see who emerges. You know, you you have two years before uh the World Cup and uh it seems like every season there’s there players who take a step in their development and um and become the you know better players, all-star players, players whose games translate in international play and FIA competition. So, you know, we’ll continue to moni monitor that. And um you know, I I will say this about the World Cup. Last year’s team, the the team in in Paris, the Olympic gold medal team, seven guys on that team had participated in the World Cup going back to, you know, LeBron and Stephen Curry all the way to in in recent years Tyrese Hallebertton and Anthony Edwards. And so, uh it’s it’s great to get these players in the pipeline. uh and get introduced to FEA play on the men’s national team. And so, you know, I’m excited. But the great thing is, yes, the world is getting better. But, but we are too. We still have some great players in this in this country, great young players. And um you know, it’s it’s on me and to get out and recruit and, you know, sort of share with guys the importance of doing this. Um there’s been a historically a bump with some players who go through that World Cup experience and then come back to the NBA and their games go to another level. And uh we we saw it in 23 and I’m sure we’ll see it again in 27. Yeah, since we have time uh like Grant just mentioned, I think I can speak to more of my experience as as an assistant uh in the World Cup. It was invaluable. Uh it’s the same round ball. It’s four lines, but the FIA game is different. It’s not the NBA. Uh, and the tournament is set up uh different. So, all of these things uh have been a great case study for USAB to to study over the years. Uh, and um we feel our experience uh in these tournaments um you know, help us uh to learn and be better. Uh but the it’s officiated differently. The three-point line is different. There’s no illegal defense. uh it’s a one single game elimination where a lot of the players have not been in a situation like that since the NCA tournament if they’ve played in something like that. There are a lot of differences. Although it is the same game, the approach to it uh you know is is different because it’s also a sprint. It’s not a marathon of an 82 game season or even a two-month playoff season. So we have time to study that study what happened in in the last uh few World Cups. Um then you can be assured that uh we’ll get to work on that uh in due time. More. Okay. Um I guess rather than keep going with roster questions for something two years from now, you know, this is the third coach for the US team that we’ve had um over the last three cycles. You know, Pop, Steve, and now you and Pop and Steve obviously they both felt that this was a one cycle position. And I’m not asking if if you’re going to leave after after the 28 Olympics, but why in general um do you think that it’s kind of gone this way that you have a coach that does one World Cup, one Olympics, and then moves on for the next guy? You know, it’s a good question. I I can’t speak for for Greg Papovic. um you know I wasn’t aware of sort of what what went into his decision that was before my time but I I do know that um you know I guess about four years ago when I you know when I you know spoke with Steve he only wanted to do one cycle and uh and so that was fine and um but we haven’t we haven’t even we haven’t discussed that at all and um you know we’re um we’re not there yet but um you know We’re we’re we’re f we’re f focused on the World Cup. That’s the first order of business and uh you know, we we’ll we’ll deal with that down the road. Tim Reynolds with the AP. Grant, good to see you. Good to see you. Again, without getting into roster minations, what what’s an ideal timeline? Like when would you feel comfortable? I guess it’s for spoke to in some in many ways. When would you feel comfortable knowing what the staff will look like? um starting to the process of feeling out guys about their interest. Is is there plans to do anything next summer? Like when how can you how do you sort of see the next 24 months loosely as far as a timeline for when you’re going to feel comfortable knowing who’s on what line of the roster sheet? Yeah. No, in terms of staff, you know, we’ll probably wait till next summer to complete the the staff, the coaching staff and certainly work with Spo and Shawn and we’ll we’ll figure that out. And um nothing on the docket for next summer in terms of mini camps or anything of that nature. We may get together uh and have a kind of a coaches staff summit for, you know, a few days. Um and um in terms of picking the roster, you know, much like we did last time during the playoffs, maybe right before the playoffs in 2027. Uh ideally, it’d be nice to to have that done before we went into the playoffs. I think we we learned from the Olympics last year, it’s just good to get that done. Less distractions for for coach, for his staff, for the players. uh they can focus in and lock in on on uh on playing in the playoffs. So, um you know, nothing ever goes according to script, but that’s certainly uh the game plan going forward with with that right here. Uh Zachary Weinberger, Clutch Points. Uh question for you, coach. Just kind of following in the footsteps of coaches in the past like Steve Kerop and the list goes on. What’s sort of like the general feelings about that for you, especially being in the long list of great head coaches? Well, I’m really grateful uh for the opportunity. Uh, you know, when Coach K uh was the head coach in 2008, I went to the training camp because Dwayne uh was on the team. Uh 2012, I went to part of the training camp. 2008, I was at the majority of the training camp. uh 2012 uh um because of uh Dwayne and LeBron. Um and I was grateful just to see the practices uh and see how the team was ramping up for the competition. And then in 21, it was a great honor to coach the select team, which has its own legacy and history unto itself. But to see coach Pop uh coach during that time, it was a harrowing time still. The COVID was still around. Players were coming in and out. Uh you didn’t really have a set roster for training camp. So the meetings for that camp, I was I was really grateful to Pop and Jerry Kangelo for allowing me to stick around after uh we played our games uh just to see uh all the decisions that were made being behind the scenes. Uh, and then the last two summers, um, I just cannot describe how invaluable that was. Uh, and I’m grateful to Steve, uh, for that opportunity to be an assistant coach and then to be able to work with Ty Louu and Mark F. Uh, we had a lot of fun. We learned a lot. Uh, it was humbling in the World Cup. uh we were all uh experienced NBA coaches uh competing in a a tournament that was much different. Um and we went to work uh rolled up our sleeves, really studied the game, studied the teams, figured out what that we thought would be the best plan, you know, for our team. Uh but that was like a coaching 101 uh summer, both both summers. Uh, and I just really was appreciative for for that opportunity. Uh, and we became close uh, as a coaching staff and it’ll be one of my favorite memories, you know, moving forward. Uh, just the times in between, you know, with the staff, but all of those experiences are part of USA B that you gain these experiences so you’re not inexperienced uh, when you go into the tournament. Hey, Coach Mike Kuno, CBS Miami. Uh, congrats on the job. I’m just curious where along the way in that journey you were just talking about that you thought or if it was ever even a goal of yours to be the USA basketball coach. 30 NBA jobs, but there’s one of these. No, never. I never thought about it. You watch the Olympics, you you see the USAB national team, you look at it in awe. The teams that uh Grant played on or the dream team or the select team that Grant played on. I mean, there’s a there’s a history to USAB. Uh, and it’s fun to follow that as a fan, but in no way did I ever think uh as as a young coach uh that this would be a goal. Um, they were you were thinking of the icons of the game. I mean, at some point, I hope I I can say this, but at some point years ago, I thought Coach Riley should have been, you know, the the head coach. Uh but you know to have this honor now uh you do have to embrace everything that it’s about. Uh and it is the history to understand the history to understand the legacy uh to understand uh the pressures of those who did it before you. Uh I think it is important to to study them. And I was I was able to talk to Steve obviously every day during that journey. I was able to see Coach Pop uh during that training camp. Uh and I plan on talking to Coach K just to gather as much information along the way as you can and they’ve all been uh you know very very accommodating and nice about that. Eric, can I just say something? Back in 2021, it was by design to have you stay around afterwards. Uh, it was by design to have you stay there with with pop. It It worked. Thank you. Eric Jalas, NBC6 Miami. Have you had a chance to soak it all in knowing, you know, the path to this where you’ve gotten here from player, video coordinator, head coach of the NBA to now this. Have you sat down and really started to soak it all in? No. You see that guy over there? He doesn’t allow us to reflect uh at all. We actually we had an amazing moment for the Hall of Fame uh when we were able to honor Mickey Harrison and for a weekend we were able to tell stories and reflect on everything in the last 30 years and all the successes and all the fun, all the memories. Uh but uh this is the life we chose. It’s a whirlwind. Uh all of this is happening while we’re gearing up uh for our uh opener uh next Wednesday. Uh and I love this life. I love coaching. Love being a part of teams. Love the challenge of getting a team uh to ideally compete for something greater than uh the individual parts. Uh to be a part of something that’s bigger than yourself. Uh I love all of that. So even, you know, this week where it’s been pretty busy, you know, that’s that’s that’s when you feel most alive in this business. We have time for a couple more questions. Bo, you mentioned him earlier, but you spent so much of your life around the game, and those early years, it was because of your dad at West. I’m curious if you could share what this might mean to him and what the reactions have been to this news of the people close to you. It’s meant a lot uh to the father-son relationship. It’s been a bond of a lifetime, that round ball. Uh I grew up in the business because of my dad. And I’m I’m I’m always so grateful uh for that. And he always brought me along uh wherever wherever it was to whatever practice with the Portland Trailblazers or training camps or summer league or whatever. U we had a lot of great conversations coming back from games. Uh I believe one of the most of the years uh my sister and I went to every single home game. That’s during a school year. uh and then the the drives back from the game, always uh dissecting what happened uh in the game. Uh but also I I think I had role models that I I I wasn’t even aware of at the time. you know, the the late uh Jack Ramsay uh who was my first coach, not my coach, but I that’s the team that I followed and uh I everybody revered him, you know, uh with in Portland uh and he coached with grace and class and and toughness that was so much so admired uh in the business. And then uh probably uh the coach that really sparked my interest to get into the business was Rick Adelman. I’ve told that story many times, but uh I I there were two families uh in the Blazer organization. Organizations were much much smaller than they are right now. Uh so when you see my kids running around, there were only uh two families in the Portland Trailblazers uh and it was the Spolsters and Adelman’s. And so we were always kids running around and uh I was able to uh see um Rick’s journey uh and how he coached uh and uh it became a model of something that I said I I think I want to do that. Uh and when I finally told my dad that I wanted to get into this profession of coaching, he said, “No, that’s crazy. I’ve known all these coaches. They’re amazing.” you know, when you talk to them and you have lunch with them and then when they get into a season, he said they are dark. He said, I just when you get to that point, please don’t uh don’t get dark. Hi, coach. This is Shai from Miami Heat. Congratulation first. And as a America, you have already achieved a lot of first. Um, now you are the first Asian-American coach for the USA basketball and what do you feel like what does it mean to you and your family? Well, that’s America, right? I mean, that’s that’s how I feel about it. I feel a sense of pride of being Filipino American, but uh you can look however you want to look. Uh you can come from any kind of background uh in this great country. um and um beautiful things uh can happen. So I am extremely grateful and if that inspires somebody else uh along the way uh I am all for that. Um and I I I take that you know with a a sense of pride and also responsibility. Congratulations once again. Absolutely fantastic. Spo Grant will ask you to stand for photos folks. Thanks again for joining us and have a great rest of your afternoon.

Erik Spoelstra will address the media Thursday, October 16 regarding this week’s announcement that he was named the USA Men’s Basketball Head Coach.