Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was once married to a former team cheerleader. Her name is Nikki Spoelstra. She once went by the name Niki Sapp before she tied the knot with the Miami shot-caller. Let's get to know more about Erik Spoelstra's ex-wife Nikki Spoelstra.
Who is Nikki Spoelstra?
Nikki Spoelstra was born on March 22, 1987, in Florida. She is half Puerto Rican. While she may be most known as the ex-wife of two-time NBA champion coach Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat as well as being a former dancer of the team, the reality is that Nikki had a very intriguing background before she rose to fame. It would be a disservice to label her as a mere ex-cheerleader.
Nikki attended Miami International University of Art & Design. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in fashion design and did so on a full scholarship. Nikki previously held the position of director in the renowned Guy Hepner Contemporary Art Gallery located in West Hollywood, Calif. According to reports, she shuttled back and forth from Miami to Los Angeles to attend to her duties as the gallery's head honcho.
Nikki also used to be a teacher. She previously taught Language Arts to middle school students in South Florida. She excelled in this field, once being honored with the Teacher of the Year award for her impressive work.
Erik Spoelstra, Nikki Spoelstra's relationship
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Nikki first met Coach Spo during her stint as a Heat dancer, a gig that she started when she was just 18. She was still a student at that time.
The pair reportedly began dating after Nikki left the team and was already a director at the Hollywood art gallery. Erik and Nikki tied the knot in 2016.
They have two boys — Santiago (born in 2018) and Dante (born in 2019). In June of 2022, the couple announced that they were expecting a third child. It was later revealed that they were expecting a baby girl.
Nikki hosts her podcast named The Know with Nikki Spo. According to her website, the podcast aims “to highlight stories of tenacious women.”
After seven years of marriage, Erik and Nikki announced their divorce in November 2023. After Erik Spoelstra signed a contract extension worth $120 million, Nikki decided to respond to online trolls that felt the need to taunt Nikki about her ex coming into that much money.
“According to crass, ignorant, uninformed society at large, women can’t ‘win,’” Nikki posted on her Instagram. “Women can’t be genuinely in love with someone successful. No, they’re pretending and they’re in it for the money. And if a woman chooses to not be with a successful partner, apparently she’s an idiot.”
Nevertheless, this is all we know about Erik Spoelstra's ex-wife, Nikki Spoelstra.
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