Before the Miami Heat’s 126-108 win over the Charlotte Hornets Friday, Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke for the first time since a massive fire early Thursday destroyed his home.
Spoelstra took the time to show his appreciation for the support he has received — specifically in the South Florida, Heat and school communities — in the hours since, as well as offer his perspective.
“Things in the house, those things can be replaced,” Spoelstra said after the win. “And if they can’t be replaced, what does it really matter? This is really what matters. Family, the closest ones, our dog also was safe, thank God. We’re just grateful. We’re grateful that everybody is safe and in a great place.”
The newly appointed Team USA men’s basketball coach had his daughter, Ruby, in his lap and was flanked by his two sons, Santiago and Dante, during the pregame news conference. The children were at their mother’s home at the time of the fire and were not harmed, he said.
Spoelstra also recognized the first responders who arrived on the scene after the blaze broke out around 4:36 a.m. to mitigate the damage to other houses near the 5,700-square-foot single-family residence in Coral Gables.
“They weren’t able to save our house,” Spoelstra said. “Obviously, we’ve seen things that could have spread to the rest of the neighborhood (that first responders stopped). They were very kind while they were trying to put out all the flames.”
More than 20 rescue units responded, and crews arrived to find two structures on the property engulfed in flames on Southwest 80th Street. The response was later upgraded to a second-alarm fire.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue battalion chief Victoria Byrd told reporters at the scene that the flames were extinguished before the fire spread to other homes.
“We found fire that was as tall as the trees,” Byrd said. “Our units came in, did an excellent job. We used multiple aerial apparatuses, fire engines and rescues to help combat this incident. … The men and women from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue were able to extinguish this fire and do the best job that they could.”
Spoelstra bought the five-bedroom, six-bathroom home in December 2023, according to The Associated Press.
The Heat front office offered its coach “a few days” off, but it was his kids who drove him to return to work, he said.
“The kids wanted to come to the game tonight,” Spoelstra said. “So, I figured if they want to come to the game, then I’d better work. The routine has been good for us today.”
Spoelstra had a message he shared with a smile and a pat on his son’s chest.
“Spoelstras are resilient,” he said.
Even still, the crushing realization of the loss of the property weighed on the 18-year Heat head coach after the win.
“It just hit me,” Spoelstra told reporters after the game. “Right now, after the game, I just want to go home. … In a perfect world, I’d rather go home.”