Erik Spoelstra, the Assistant Head Coach of the USA Men’s Basketball (USAB) national team, is clearly excited about the USA Basketball Showcase, which is part of International Basketball Week and set to tip off tonight at the Etihad Arena. Yet there is more reason for his excitement than just the historic event itself – Spoelstra, whose mother was born in the Philippines, is looking forward to witnessing the passionate Filipino basketball fans he has heard so much about, be it here on at the upcoming FIBA World Cup.
In an interview ahead of the showcase, Spoelstra expressed his enthusiasm for this month’s historic happenings in Asia. As well as USAB playing in the Gulf for the first time, the World Cup will be held in three countries for the first time ever: Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines. Spoelstra proudly embraces his American identity while maintaining a strong connection to his Filipino heritage. The next few weeks, he believes, will allow him to harmoniously blend both aspects.
“We’re just really excited to be able to come together and hopefully do something special together, but I personally am really excited,” said Spoelstra on arrival in the UAE, which is home to more than 700,000 Filipinos according to recent population statistics. “I’m proud to be American, and I’m also very proud of my Filipino heritage.”
Spoelstra’s mother, Elisa Celino, was born in San Pablo, Laguna, and her son, who is also coach of Miami Heat, is looking forward to returning to her homeland. “It’s exciting,” he said. “We’re all going to be in the same place, so I get to see some family and I’m genuinely excited that our players and staff will be able to see how passionate the fan base is in the Philippines. It’s going to be awesome. I’m going to try catch a game if I can; Tim Cone [coach of the Philippines national team] and I have already been communicating, so we’ll see.
When asked about his favourite Filipino dish, Spoelstra fondly reminisced about his uncle’s lumpia, a traditional Filipino spring roll. “Uncle Tony makes great lumpia, and while I was growing up, he used to send it in the mail,” added the two-time NBA Championship-winning coach. “He would make lumpia and send it frozen, so we’d get it about once a month. My mom used to make it too, and I used to just munch on that all the time.”
International Basketball Week tips off tonight with Lebanon versus Egypt. Team USA will begin their showcase tomorrow against Greece, who have been drawn in the same Group at the FIBA World Cup, which starts August 25.
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