21 hours Ago
BOSTON — As USA Basketball marched to another gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics, lines are often blurred. NBA rivals play together under the flag, so any animosity toward each other on the court has a different dynamic. That includes Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who was an assistant under head coach Steve Kerr last Olympics.
The Celtics and Heat have had a longstanding rivalry that’s been the best in the East this decade. But coaching three C’s in Jayson Tatum , Derrick White and Jrue Holiday ended up being a somewhat confusing time for Spoelstra. “That entire experience was an incredible blessing,” Spoelstra said.
“I mentioned to all of the Celtics that summer: I hated myself for actually liking them. And then admitting it, I hated myself even more. Just quality human beings.
Great competitors. Great basketball players.” The Celtics and Heat have met in four of the last five playoffs, with three of those coming in the East Finals.
The C’s most recently beat the Heat in the first round of the 2024 playoffs on their way to the NBA championship. The C’s downed the Heat in the 2022 East Finals, though the Heat got the better of Boston in the 2020 and 2023 East Finals. Of course, the Celtics-Heat rivalry has another layer to it in Heat president Pat Riley.
The executive coached the Lakers through the 1980s, where the rivalry with the C’s was a major storyline. Spoelstra grew up in that, plus he had his battles with the Celtics during the 2010s, as well. But that’s what happens during the Olympics at times as Spoelstra had complimentary words for the Celtics.
“I have the utmost respect for Derrick — he’s a winning player," Spoelstra said. “Now he’s doing things that the rest of the people recognize. The people who have competed against him realize pretty quickly that the last handful of years how much he impacts winning.
And that’s way more than just as a 3-point shooter.” More Celtics content.
