After a couple losses, I normally wouldn't say anything to my wife in the morning, just kind of grunt and grumble and grab my coffee and get on my way out.
Erik Spoelstra
Simplicity is often one of the greatest strengths.
It's my personality naturally to try to fly under the radar.
The most important thing is there is a foundation and an accountability to a system.
Sometimes, you have a hunch and then you find numbers that substantiate that, it makes either the staff or the players say, 'OK, let's fix that.'
It doesn't matter whether you're a former player or you come up through the video room, whether you come from college. You have to earn that trust from NBA players every day.
If you want to win in a tough place, you're going to have to make tough plays, you're going to have to get stops.
I think we would all prefer to have a slightly shorter regular season with less back-to-back games. This would seem to help put out a better product, and it could also possibly help with injury prevention from over-use injuries.
You obviously have to build a culture, a foundation. You must build the right talent however you do it. Then you have to build the systems and the habits.
Dwyane is just sensational. Look, he has all the qualities of a champion, of a winner, of a Hall of Fame player and talent, but his humanity, empathy and his ability to articulate his feelings separates him from everybody else.
By the time you get to the conference finals, you can't hide. It's not like your opponent is going to be experienced on how to try to exploit you. You have to have the right kind of habits and hopefully have been tested enough in those habits... to be able to still get to your identity.
I mean we just simply can't stand for the systemic racism, social injustice and police brutality against the black community anymore. And it's really about standing up for what's right versus what's wrong.
I've traveled enough around the world with the NBA to see how much it's grown, globally.
I think what we focus on is every game is a different challenge, and you have to find ways to put yourself in position to win, and you have to have a resourcefulness, and it's not always going to go according to play.
I've always loved Air Jordans. My favorite one was the Air Jordan No. 1 with the black front. What's ironic about that is I don't own a pair of those. I probably have countless pairs but they're my favorite ones. I had the poster in my room. Those are my favorite Jordan shoes of all time. I've just never bought them for myself.
I think it's important to remain true to myself, but ultimately the Miami Heat and what it stands for is part of me. It's part of my fabric.
Obviously, I've been very fortunate to be able to work for a Hall of Famer, to be able to coach a lot of Hall of Famers.
When you're usually competing and contending, you're not relying on younger players to produce for you.
I only knew that I didn't like the AAU culture. I knew that if I had a chance someday, that I would love to be able to, even if it was a small drop in a bucket, to be able to change the culture and be a part of a positive change.
Zones are easier just to throw out there and you don't have to really teach it.
It's not just about winning or losing, but to learn about teamwork, learn about sportsmanship, learn about discipline. The value of working together for a common goal. Have the emphasis on fundamentals, not just games.
So much of this league is just about alignment. Who cares what you believe in, who cares what your culture is, can you get a group of people that are aligned?
Basketball is a beautiful game and it's afforded all of us in this profession so many things. To give back any time we can is gratifying.
I'm a stay-in-the-present momentist.
The more that we've tried to think conventionally in terms of guys playing just a specific position, it restricted us a little bit.
When players come in and we talk to them about what it means to be a Miami Heat player, we point them at Udonis Haslem.
It's really a shame for the coaching profession that it's so volatile.
It's amazing how much things can get exaggerated.
A coach-player relationship in this league often will be confrontational at times. And other times, it's smooth sailing. But just the dynamic of the competitive nature of everybody, expectations, results - all these things combine, yeah, sometimes it will get testy. And that's good.
I'm going to demand. I'm going to push and prod. And a lot of times, players don't know what is needed for a team to break through.
Come on, if you lose, no one's going to be happy and nor should they be.
You're all over the place usually with young players. You're trying to manage their emotions and teach them NBA situations. It usually takes months, even years, to learn and recognize NBA situations and then to develop a level of competitiveness that's necessary at this level.
The reality is that luck does play a part of it. It does. Ultimately it's a make or miss league.
I really find comfort in watching film and obtaining knowledge and I use statistics and computer generated stuff to help me get those stats. That was probably a result of my father's influence on me at a young age.
We're always trying to evolve and find more efficient ways, more fluent ways to evaluate our players, evaluate our opponent and evaluate our prospects.
When you work for Pat Riley, you're not just putting your hands on the basket and hanging out during practice. He puts you in positions where you have to coach. You have to be enthusiastic and fierce with your preparation and work ethic.
I have to be true to myself, and that's what I know for sure. I can't try to be anybody else.
I've never really been a barbecue guy.
You can't stay who you are... Things change and you have to be able to adapt.
I hate this quality, but I can go to dark levels when we lose. It's not a panic attack, but there's anxiety. I'm inconsolable. I'm a train wreck. I'm being myself. Then I get this crazy, intense focus, where I get desperate not to be embarrassed again. That dark spot is what I tap into. Creativity comes from there.
It's always easier to sacrifice when you're not the one who has to do it.
When I was a player I'd black out and shoot for hours.
South Floridians, we can relate to storms where you just brace and hold your breath and even when you're holding your breath you know the worst is coming.
Some people might think they need to venture out on their own to create their own image. I do not have any of those kind of feelings.
When my grandfather was a journalist for the Detroit Tigers, he dressed the part. I mention it always to our local media: sport coat, tie, very professional and a nice cap on his head. And they also developed very close friendships with the players and staff traveling.
This league does teach you that it's inevitable that there's constant change, and you always have to continue to embrace change, adapt with change.
It is terrific to be involved with changing people's perceptions, and the world is changing.
If you want something badly enough, you'll figure it out.
Yes, there's more access to film than when I first came into the league, but because of it there's a desire to see more and study more and cover more.
It's a treasure to be part of a Game 7 against a worthy opponent.
