Erik Spoelstra on the Philippines: 'This is a country of extremes' / News - Basketnews.com

A 10-minute drive can take you from poverty to extreme wealth in the Philippines, Spoelstra said. Due to his Filipino heritage, the coach is treated similarly to the star players, which is a blessing and a pain at the same time.

Credit: USA Basketball Credit USA Basketball

Basketball players will be the biggest stars in Manila, the Philippines, when the 2023 FIBA World Cup begins on Friday, August 25th. At the same time, Team USA assistant coach Erik Spoelstra will be a star of equal stature.

USA / Schedule

USA New ZealandSat12:40 Greece USAMon12:40 USA Jordan08-3008:40

Born to a Filipino mother, Spoelstra is a well-known figure in the country. After a camp he held on Wednesday, a huge group of media representatives swarmed the coach. He is excited to connect with his roots and share it with others.

"This is a country of extremes," Spoelstra told Joe Vardon from The Athletic. "You're here [at the team hotel in Manila], and it feels like you're in Brickell (a wealthy neighborhood in Miami with a similar climate), and then you go 10 minutes out of here, there's extreme poverty."

It doesn't take long to go from streets filled with cars, bikes, and trucks full of livestock to highrises and wealthy neighborhoods. In the case of Team USA, it's a 10-minute drive.

"You marvel sometimes how Filipinos can have such an amazing spirit," Spoelstra said. "When we would look and say, wow, 'You are without,' they think they have everything. And that’s something that I’ve always wanted people to come on a trip with me to be able to see."

In his childhood, Spoelstra used to eat lumpia - a traditional Philippine spring roll - his uncle Tony, who still lives in the Philippines, makes. When Spoelstra was growing up, his mother Elisa cooked chicken adobo - another Philippine dish.

As much as he would like to take Team USA to places where food in made in the street, it would provide an almost inescapable scenario for the players. They're treated here like superstars everywhere they go.

When coach Spoelstra visited the Philippines for his annual coaching clinic, the local fans even rocked the bus that transported the coaching staff once. His relatives sent him tapes of the Philippine Basketball League when he was still playing basketball professionally.

"I just saw how crazy the crowds were, and I was like, 'I want to do that,'" Spoelstra shared.

He will finally compete in front of the Philippine crowd but as an assistant coach this time. However, he doesn't want the light to shine on him.

"The coaches should not be the ones that are recognized, and in three weeks, that's going to be a fact," he concluded.

Support BasketNews so we could make even better content.