MIAMI (AP) — Flanked by his three children, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra spoke publicly Friday for the first time since fire burned down his residence and expressed appreciation for what he described as “absolutely remarkable” support in the aftermath.

Spoelstra’s home was destroyed by a blaze that broke out sometime around 4:30 a.m. Thursday. His children, Santiago, Dante and Ruby were at their mother’s home at the time and nobody was injured in the blaze.

kAm“%9:?8D 😕 E96 9@FD6[ E9@D6 E9:?8D 42? 36 C6A=2465[Q $A@6=DEC2 D2:5 367@C6 |:2>:VD 82>6 H:E9 E96 r92C=@EE6 w@C?6ED] Qp?5 :7 E96J 42?’E 36 C6A=2465[ H92E 5@6D :E C62==J >2EE6Cn %9:D 😀 C62==J H92E >2EE6CD] u2>:=J[ E96 4=@D6DE @?6D[ @FC 5@8 2=D@ H2D D276[ E92?< v@5] (6VC6 ;FDE 8C2E67F=] (6VC6 8C2E67F= E92E 6G6CJ3@5J 😀 D276 2?5 😕 2 8C62E A=246]”k^Am

kAm%96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^9@C?6ED\962E\D4@C6\fdgb4hda6h5hb77g6dggda7h2agec2beQmw62E H@? E96 82>6[ `ae\`_g]k^2m p?5 27E6CH2C5[ E92EVD H96? E96 >28?:EF56 @7 E96 >@>6?E 3682? D:?<:?8 😕 7@C $A@6=DEC2]k^Am

kAm“xE ;FDE 9:E >6[ C:89E ?@H[ 27E6C E96 82>6] x ;FDE H2?E E@ 8@ 9@>6[” $A@6=DEC2 D2:5 😕 9:D A@DE82>6 ?6HD 4@?76C6?46] “|J <:5D[ H6VC6 E2<6? 42C6 @7] x H:== D66 E96> E@?:89E] qFE 😕 2 A6C764E H@C=5[ xV5 C2E96C 8@ 9@>6]”k^Am

kAm%96 42FD6 @7 E96 7:C6 C6>2:?D F?56C :?G6DE:82E:@?] $A@6=DEC2 D2:5 E96 w62E @776C65 9:> 2 76H 52JD @77 :7 96 ?66565 E@ 562= H:E9 A6CD@?2= >2EE6CD[ 2?5 96 564=:?65]k^Am

kAm“%96 <:5D H2?E65 E@ 4@>6 E@ E96 82>6 E@?:89E[Q $A@6=DEC2 D2:5] Q$@[ x 7:8FC65 :7 E96J H2?E E@ 4@>6 E@ E96 82>6[ E96? x’5 36EE6C H@C<]”k^Am

kAm$A@6=DEC2 H2D @? 2? 2:CA=2?6 H96? E96 7:C6 DE2CE65[ 7=J:?8 9@>6 H:E9 E96 w62E 7C@> 2 (65?6D52J ?:89E 82>6 😕 s6?G6C] %96 7:C6 H2D 42==65 😕 2C@F?5 cibe 2]>] %9FCD52J[ 4@F?EJ C64@C5D D9@H65[ 2?5 E96 w62E 492CE6C =2?565 😕 |:2>: 23@FE bd >:?FE6D =2E6C]k^Am

kAm|F=E:A=6 7:C6 ECF46] w6 H2D D66? H2=<:?8 2C@F?5 E96 @FED:56 @7 E96 AC@A6CEJ 😕 E96 AC6\52H? 9@FCD[ D@>6E:>6D DE@AA:?8 2?5 9@=5:?8 9:D 9625 😕 2AA2C6?E 5:D36=:67 2D 7=2>6D D9@E :?E@ E96 52C6DD]k^Am

kAm“x H2?E E@ 8:G6 2 D9@FE@FE E@ E96 7:CDE C6DA@?56CD[ E96 A@=:46 @77:46CD 2?5 E96 7:C6>6?] %96J H6C6 2>2K:?8[” $A@6=DEC2 D2:5] Q%96J H6C6?’E 23=6 E@ D2G6 @FC 9@FD6[ 3FE @3G:@FD=J H6’G6 D66? E9:?8D E92E 4@F=5 92G6 DAC625 E@ E96 C6DE @7 E96 ?6:893@C9@@5] %96J H6C6 G6CJ <:?5 H9:=6 E96J H6C6 ECJ:?8 E@ AFE @FE 2== E96 7=2>6D]”k^Am

kAm$A@6=DEC2 D2:5 E96 w62E 72>:=J 92G6 2== @776C65 DFAA@CE[ 2?5 E92E 6G6? D@>6 @7 E96 H:G6D 2?5 8:C=7C:6?5D @7 A=2J6CD @? E96 E62> 2C6 2=C625J 3FDJ ECJ:?8 E@ 96=A E96 <:5D — H9@ H6?E E@ D49@@= 2D ?@C>2= @? uC:52J — H:E9 2 DFCAC:D6 @C EH@]k^Am

kAm“!@DD:3=J D@>6 E@JD E92E H6C6 =@DE 😕 E96 9@FD6[” $A@6=DEC2 D2:5] “%96JVG6 366? 2>2K:?8]”k^Am

kAmsC@?6 7@@E286 D9@H65 E92E >F49 @7 E96 9@>6 H2D C65F465 E@ 492CC65 CF33=6] $@>6 4C6HD C6>2:?65 @? E96 D46?6[ >@?:E@C:?8 9@EDA@ED[ F?E:= 62C=J %9FCD52J 27E6C?@@? — 23@FE 6:89E 9@FCD 27E6C E96 7:C6 H2D 42==65 :?]k^Am

kAm“{2556C ECF4 23@G6[” |:2>:\s256 u:C6 #6D4F6 D2:5 😕 2 ?6HD C6=62D6] “%96 :?E6?D6 962E 2?5 2 A2CE:2= C@@7 4@==2AD6 7@C465 4C6HD E@ E2<6 2 5676?D:G6 2AAC@249[ 7:89E:?8 E96 7:C6 7C@> E96 @FED:56 E@ 6?DFC6 7:C67:89E6C D276EJ] ]]] %96 42FD6 @7 E96 7:C6 😀 F?56C :?G6DE:82E:@?]”k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^6C:<\DA@6=DEC2\962E\4@?EC24E\?32\e334cd425b53277g_h7fgfb4`ac2gf6_Qm$A@6=DEC2[ H9@ 92D 366? H:E9 E96 w62E D:?46 `hhd 2?5 9625 4@249 D:?46 a__g[k^2m 3@F89E E96 7:G6\365C@@> 9@>6 😕 s646>36C a_ab] w6 925 5@?6 6IE6?D:G6 H@C< E@ E96 AC@A6CEJ 7@==@H:?8 E96 AFC492D6]k^Am

kAmw6 7:?2=:K65 2 562= =2DE >@?E9 E@ D6CG6 2D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^6C:<\DA@6=DEC2\FD2\32D<6E32==\@=J>A:4D\4@249\b6de7`c5_f54_7_d3g_hghg`b7c4cd62Qm4@249 @7 E96 &]$] ~=J>A:4 >6?’D 32D<6E32== E62>k^2m 2E E96 a_ag {@D p?86=6D v2>6D]k^Am

kAm“x ;FDE H2?E E@ E92?< 6G6CJ3@5J 7@C E9:D @G6CH96=>:?8 DFAA@CE[Q $A@6=DEC2 D2:5[ H:E9 9:D D@?D @? 6:E96C D:56 @7 9:> 2D 96 DA@<6 2?5 9:D 52F89E6C 😕 9:D =2A] “%96 $@FE9 u=@C:52 4@>>F?:EJ 92D ;FDE 366? 23D@=FE6=J C6>2C<23=6] !6@A=6 C6249:?8 @FE[ H2?E:?8 E@ 96=A] xE’D @3G:@FD=J 366? D@>6E9:?8 E92E’D F?:BF6=J 492==6?8:?8 7@C @FC 72>:=J[ 3FE $A@6=DEC2D 2C6 C6D:=:6?E]Qk^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! }qpi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?32Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?32k^2mk^Am

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.