Lessons from Pat Riley

At 37 years old, Erik Spoelstra is living a dream and coaching one the NBA's MVP candidates in Dwyane Wade. His path has been one of the most original stories of any coach in the NBA. He was not a former NBA player instead beginning his professional career as the video coordinator with Pat Riley. As a young assistant he was often seen taking notes on plays, poetry, motivational talks, or anything else he could learn from hall of famer Pat Riley. Read more on this quote from Orlando newspaper. When Riley stepped down as the Heat coach, he turned the reins over to the young assistant who had worked his way up from the bottom: Erik Spoelstra. One thing he learned from the Showtime coach is, "I loved hearing [Riley's] motivational talks," Spoelstra says. "I'd get fired up hearing them. But there's only one person who can talk like that. If I tried, it would sound false, so I don't." His talks? Full of preparation and passion. "You can motivate in different ways," he says. For coaches of all levels, we must learn to ADAPT and not ADOPT the philosophies of our mentors.