Erik Spoelstra Has The Third-Longest Tenure In NBA

Jun 5, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra addresses the media after practice for game one of the 2013 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports /

With the head coaching frenzy in full swing and the Denver Nuggets firing George Karl, Erik Spoelstra has now become the third-longest tenured current head coach in the NBA.

According to ESPN analyst Kevin Pelton, has been a head coach 11 days longer than Rick Carlisle of the Dallas Mavericks. Spoelstra took over the Miami Heat in 2008, which shows just how much pressure each head coach faces in the NBA.

The two coaches that are ahead of Spoelstra on the list are Doc Rivers of the Boston Celtics and Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs.

When told of his accomplishment, Spoelstra was naturally shocked, saying “that’s scary”.

Ironically, Spoelstra and Karl were the two favorites for the Coach of the Year award, and Spo said that he was happy to not win the award, as it has been cursed over the years — many winners of the COY award end up losing their jobs within a year or two.

Spoelstra also had some sympathy for Karl, saying that coaches in the NBA have unrealistic expectations on them.

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Erik Spoelstra Now Has Third-Longest Tenure In NBA

By Vytis Lasaitis | Jun 6, 2013