INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines - "It's not about being tall. It's about playing as a team."

With those sentences, Erik Spoelstra, the Filipino-American coach of the Miami Heat, may have lifted an entire nation's hopes of resurrecting basketball glory.

"There's a lot of enthusiasm and passion in these young players," said Spoelstra, the first Asian and currently the youngest head coach in the NBA. "There are a lot of talents here and they have the desire to get better."

The 38 year-old Spoelstra conducted a half-day clinic at La Salle Greenhills along with his assistant coach David Fizdale and former WNBA all-star Sue Wicks.

Varsity players from the Far Eastern University, University of the East, University of the Philippines, La Salle Greenhills, and National University joined the clinic.

Spoelstra was impressed at what he saw even after only a few hours of dribbling, passing and shooting drills, but he reserved his best compliment for one particular group.

"The ladies are sensational," said Spoelstra, describing the women players who joined the clinic.

Fizdale, meanwhile, kept on reminding the boys to concentrate and avoid turn-overs. "Don't mess around and focus," Spoelstra told the boys while teaching them how to execute fastbreak plays.

To inspire players further, Spoelstra cited Heat superstar Dwayne Wade as a prime example on how to stay focused.

"He doesn't drink alcohol. He's really a disciplined player," said Spoelstra, who built a strong reputation as head of the Heat's Individual Player Development Program after succeeding Pat Riley as head coach n 2008.

"He was a good mentor and what he taught me is hard work," Spoelstra said, referring to Riley who is now Miami's team manager.

"Focus and team work are important to succeed in basketball," added Spoelstra, whose Filipina mother Candida was originally from Los Banos, Laguna.

Spoelstra said he was three years old the last time he visited the Philippines. While he admits he cannot speak the Filipino language, he said he is interested to learn.