Saturday, July 25, 2009

MIAMI HEAT COACH IS A FILIPINO-AMERICAN

The present head coach of Miami Heat, a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, Erik Jon Celino Spoelstra, is a Filipino-American. Born on November 1, 1970 in Evanston, Illinois, his father is Irish-Dutch Jon Spoelstra, a long-time NBA executive involved with the Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets and New Jersey Nets, her mother is former Elisa G. Celino of Barangay VI-A (Mavenida) in San Pablo City or a Lagunense

According to Dr. Leandro Celino Dimayuga, his San Pablo City-based cousin, Erik, is published in various websites that Erik Spoelstra is the first Asian Filipino-American head coach in the National Basketball Association, as well as the first Asian/Filipino American head coach of any North American Professional Sports Team. He is currently the youngest head coach in the NBA, a conference of 30 professional teams.

Website reports added that Erik grew up in Portland, Oregon, where he graduated from Jesuit High School in 1988, and from the University of Portland in 1992 As a high school player, he is third all-time in assists (488), tied for third in three-pointers made (156), and sixth in both three-point percentage (384) and free throw percentage (824).

He will be visiting the Philippines soon with his team for a series of exhibition games, but his hectic schedule may not make a visit to his mother’s homecity possible. (Ruben E. Taningco-Seven Lakes Press Corps)

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