Heat coach Erik Spoelstra expressed his gratitude for the “absolutely remarkable” support he received since his Miami home was left devastated by the massive fire Thursday.
“Things in the house, those things can be replaced,” Spoelstra said Friday before Miami’s 126-108 win over the Hornets in his first public comments since the fire. “And if they can’t be replaced, what does it really matter? This is really what matters. Family, the closest ones, our dog also was safe, thank God. We’re just grateful. We’re grateful that everybody is safe and in a great place.”
The coach spoke alongside his children Santiago, Dante and Ruby, who were thankfully at their mom’s house when the blaze broke out at around 4:36 a.m. Thursday at the 5,700-square-foot single-family residence in the area of Davis Road and Ponce De Leon Road.
“In a perfect world, I’d like to go home,” he said.
The Heat offered the coach a few days off, but Spoelstra chose to get back on the sidelines.
“The kids wanted to come to the game tonight,” Spoelstra said. “So, I figured if they want to come to the game, then I’d better work.”
It took nearly eight hours to extinguish the fast-moving fire, as firefighters initially scrambled to find water, according to the Miami Herald.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue battalion chief Victoria Byrd said the fire was more difficult to contain because the property has a privacy well, the AP reported.
The cause of the first is still under investigation.
“I want to give a shoutout to the first responders, the police officers and the firemen. They were amazing,” Spoelstra said. “They weren’t able to save our house, but, obviously, we’ve seen things that could have spread to the rest of the neighborhood. They were very kind while they were trying to put out all the flames.”
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The home, which Spoelstra bought in December 2023 after his divorce from former Miami Heat dancer Nikki Sapp, is worth $6.6 million, according to Realtor.com.
It had been undergoing renovations over the past year.
The house was mostly reduced to hollow walls and ash, as much of the roof collapsed.
The 55-year-old Spoelstra, who had just landed with the Heat following a road loss to the Nuggets on Wednesday, was shown in a video being forced to watch the home burn.
“I just want to thank everybody for this overwhelming support,” Spoelstra said. “The South Florida community has just been absolutely remarkable. People reaching out, wanting to help. It’s obviously been something that’s uniquely challenging for our family, but Spoelstras are resilient.”
Spoelstra has coached the Heat since 1995 and won two NBA championships while reaching the finals six times. The franchise is off to a 5-4 start this season.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
