MIAMI – After the Miami Heat beat the Charlotte Hornets in the first NBA Cup group stage game on Friday night, 126-108, it also marked an emotional night for head coach Erik Spoelstra. A day before the win over the Hornets, the Heat coach came home to a devastating house fire after arriving on a late flight from Denver, Colorado, leading some to admire Spoelstra for overcoming such a difficult time.
The feeling within the locker room was mutual in their respect for Spoelstra in showing up to coach shortly after his home burned down, though fortunately, there were no injuries. One player who spoke about Spoelstra was star Jaime Jaquez Jr., who said Spoelstra is “inspiring” as “you would have never known anything tragic happened.”
“I just want to say how inspiring it was to just see him be out here,” Jaquez said after recording 18 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, and two blocks. “You would have never known anything tragic happened today. He took it like a regular day. First thing he said to us was, ‘Appreciate all the wishes.’ Most important thing is that, you know, his kids and his family were all okay, and the fact that he came here with a smile on his face and excited to coach us as if nothing happened.”
“I mean, that just goes to show what kind of person he is,” Jaquez continued. “You know, material things don't really matter. It's the people who you surround yourself with. And I mean, it was just so, so inspiring to see him here, and we thank him for being that leader for us in this locker room. And you know, we really want to get that win for him.”
Jaime Jaquez Jr. on how “inspiring” it was to see Erik Spoelstra coach tonight.
“You would have never known anything tragic happened today. He took it like a regular day…”
Full response: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/tjEDsKJslr
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) November 8, 2025
Heat's Norman Powell on the ‘positivity' around Erik Spoelstra
As the Heat made franchise history with 53 points scored in the first quarter, the most points scored by Miami in any period, there was a shift in the second quarter that made it a close game. The team would close out strong to get their first win on the quest for the NBA Cup, but there are events bigger than basketball, like what happened to Spoelstra.
Though it hit Spoelstra after the game regarding his home, he came into the game with “a lot of positivity,” as Norman Powell said to ClutchPoints.
“I mean situations like that, I mean it's really bad, but it's out of your control, you know,” Powell said after scoring 25 points. “And I think he's a guy that really focuses on the mental side of things, being locked in, focusing on what you can control, being in the present moment. So when I saw him before my warm-up and stuff in the weight room…He was smiling and said the Spoelstras are very resilient. I told him I know. He's a guy who's been through adversity/things he can't control. He said that everything he lost, he can replace. The most important thing is the family's good.”
Asked Norman Powell about how Erik Spoelstra was like before the game that led to the win tonight.
“A lot of positivity…I think he’s a guy that really focusing on what you can control, being in the present moment…the most important this is the family’s good…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/CGghMyzVa5
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) November 8, 2025
Other players like Pelle Larsson would mention how the team wanted to win the game for Spoelstra, and even Andrew Wiggins echoed the same sentiments and marking how it was a “special game” for him to coach and the team getting the victory. At any rate, it will be a quick turnaround as the Heat play the second game of a back-to-back on Saturday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.
