Pinoy player may soon break into NBA, says Fil-Am Heat coach
With a Filipino-American coach finally breaking the barrier in the National Basketball Association, can a local player be far behind? For visiting Miami Heat mentor Erik Spoelstra, itâs very much possible. âWhy not? Think big. Itâs gonna happen at some point," said the soft-spoken mentor. He didnât even go far and cited his case as the first Asian-American coach in the worldâs premiere basketball league.
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV Spoelstra, of course, has Filipino blood. His mother, the former Elisa Celino is from San Pablo, Laguna, while his father, Joe, worked as an NBA executive for teams such as Portland Trailblazers, Denver Nuggets, Buffalo Braves and New Jersey Nets. âI donât think anybody would have thought five years ago that there would ever be an Asian-American head coach in any major league in America," he said. âThings can happen. I think the world is changing. Itâs becoming more global," said the former University of Portland stalwart, who worked his way up to become the current coach of the Heat team that features star players Dwyane Wayde and Jermaine OâNeal. Spoelstra went back to his roots for a week-long coaching clinic as part of the US Department of Statesâ Sports Envoy Program. Along with Heat assistant David Fizdale and St. Francis College assistant coach and former WNBA All-Star Sue Wick, Spoelstra had been busy going from one clinic to another the past few days, but was generous enough to accommodate the special luncheon hosted by the PBA Thursday at Kamayan-Edsa.
Why not? Think big. Itâs gonna happen at some point (Filipino player in the NBA) ... It will just take the right timing, the right player and the right mentality.