Return to basics of basketball, says Fil-Am coach Spoelstra

Filipino-American NBA coach Erik Spoelstra believes every basketball player should get back in learning the fundamentals of the sport. “Started working out on the fundamentals, the basics of basketball. Talent then comes next," said the Miami Heat coach in a recent clinic he conducted with selected collegiate players. "Basketball is not an individual sport. You need to have a good teamwork. It’s not in the way you pass or the way you shoot but how you make your teammate look good." Spoelstra, whose mother hails from Los Baños, Laguna, was very impressed with the enthusiasm that was shown by all the players who participated in the clinic. “They were enthusiastic. There was a lot of speed and quickness. Everybody did a great job of listening and trying to apply some of the things that all the coaches were teaching," said Spoelstra, who looked every inch a Filipino. “This is fantastic. There's nothing better than this – boys and girls who are enthusiastic and passionate about learning the game of basketball. For us coaches, it doesn't get better than this," added Spoelstra referring to more than hundreds of UAAP seniors, juniors and women basketball players led by this year’s host Far Eastern University. He is hoping to someday open the doors to some Filipino coaches and players to make it to the NBA. “Dream big. Anything can happen." “The game of basketball is becoming more global. Players and teams are getting better from every region in the world. With a country like this where basketball is number one, why not? Why not shock the world?" ended Spoelstra, the first ever Filipino American coach in the NBA. – GMANews.TV