Amazingly Me

NBA's Miami Heat former headcoach and team president Pat Riley named Filipino/American Erik Celino Spoelstra as his successor when he stepped down as the team's head coach April of 2008. Yes you read it right Spoelstra is of Filipino descent, his mother Elisa Celino is from San Pablo Laguna.

Erik's NBA career began when he joined the Heat's staff in 1995 as the team's cameraman. But during his high school and college days Erik also played basketball and was good at it. But it seemed like playing the game was not his destiny. After being the team's cameraman he was promoted as assistant coach/head cameraman in 1997. Then two years later became the assistant coach/advance cameraman. Then waited another two years for another promotion and became the assistant coach/director of Photography in 2001. From then on he held the position of assistant coach/Director of Scouting for the team.

Currently he is the youngest head coach in the NBA and the first Asian Filipino/American to ever held that said position. He recently visited the Philippines, which he said was his first time since he was three years old.

Now there is another reason why we should be proud to be Filipinos. Another Pinoy making a big name in the elite list of head coaches in the NBA.