Heat coach Erik Spoelstra coming back to Manila in August

Erik Celino Spoelstra, the head coach of the Miami Heat waves to the media upon arrival at the NAIA, Monday. Spoelstra will be conducting coaching and playing clinics during the tour. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Champion coach Erik Spoelstra is coming back to Manila, and he’s taking the NBA Larry O’ Brien trophy along with him.

Though he’s been here a couple of times, Spoelstra’s visit, this time around, from August 2 to 5, will be as the Miami Heat’s head coach as a part of the NBA Trophy Tour presented by Gatorade as announced by the league Tuesday.

The fans will get to a chance interact with Spoelstra, whose mother hails from San Pablo, Laguna, in a tour around select SM malls in Metro Manila while the NBA championship trophy is on display.

The NBA Trophy Tour presented by Gatorade will be at SM North Edsa on August 4 from 2-3 p.m., at SM Megamall on August 5 from 2:30-3:30 p.m. and at SM Mall of Asia on the same day from 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Seeing Coach Spo, as he is popularly known, “in action” will be one of the highlights of his brief visit to the Philippines.

The NBA will host an interactive viewing party of an NBA Finals game for the fans while Spoelstra provides personal commentary, insights, and tidbits the game — and maybe about the “Big Three” as well.

To determine which game will be aired, fans can log onto the NBA Philippines Facebook page at www.facebook.com/philsnba and vote for either Game 3 or 4 of the NBA Finals. Voting will run from July 27-August 2.

Spoelstra, the first Filipino-American head coach in the NBA, will also conduct an NBA 3X Clinic for teen boys and girls at the Jose Rizal University on August 2 in preparation for NBA 3X event taking place at SM MOA from August 17-19.