Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was devastated in the aftermath of Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Sunday. His team fell short against the mighty Los Angeles Lakers squad, who closed out the series 4-2 and won their 17th NBA title in the process.
While the Purple and Gold stayed on the court to celebrate their success, Spoelstra and his team retreated to the locker room following their 106-93 defeat.
Coach Spo was understandably emotional as he fielded questions from the press shortly after. The two-time NBA champion coach tried to hold back tears and paused for a good 30 seconds before he can address the media.
Here's that heartbreaking scene involving the Heat tactician.
Erik Spoelstra wiping away tears for over 30 seconds before starting his first answer post-game. pic.twitter.com/japm0ctsht
— Will Manso (@WillManso) October 12, 2020
While the Heat failed to clinch their ultimate goal of winning the title this year, this shouldn't take away from the marvelous season they had. Miami, who finished the regular season as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, defied all expectations inside the bubble at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
Not a lot of pundits envisioned the Heat to make it this far, let alone give the Lakers a very competitive series. Erik Spoelstra's wards spoiled the Lakers' supposed coronation in Game 5 when critics were already writing them off after falling 3-1.
They tried to put up a similar outing on Sunday in hopes of forcing a do-or-die Game 7, but they were simply outclassed by the better Lakers unit for 48 minutes. Bam Adebayo gave it his all with 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. After carrying his team throughout the series, Heat superstar Jimmy Butler showed some fatigue in Game 6 and only mustered 12 points.
The Heat may have fallen short this campaign, but their valiant effort will still be remembered in the history books. Keep your head up high coach Spo, you did a remarkable job this season.
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