By Marjorie Gorospe
PASAY, METRO MANILA— National Basketball Association (NBA) legend Horace Grant believes Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra did a great job in handling the team despite a loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA 2011 championship.
The Filipino-American Spoelsta coached the star-studded Miami Heat with has its own “Big 3” in Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh. But it was not enough to defeat the Dirk Nowitzki-led Dallas Mavericks which coasted to a 4-2 victory.
“I think he made a fantastic job in getting all that talent together in short period of time in making it to the finals and having the chance to win the finals. Overall I give him an A+,” Grant said.
Grant is in the Philippines to hold basketball clinics in depressed areas of Pasay City that would benefit 100 kids as part of the Coke Hoopla basketball grassroots program.
He was also the special guest in the NBA 3-on-3 Philippines at the Mall of Asia held last July 1 to 3.
Grant won four NBA championships as a member of the Chicago Bulls including three straight from 1991 to 1993 alongside the great Michael Jordan.
Grant was also a member of the Los Angeles Lakers that won the first of its first three straight titles in 2000-2001. He was also a member of the NBA All-Star in 1994 and a power forward out of Clemson University.
Asked about the recent locked out on NBA players and the current negotiations on players salary cap that might threaten the upcoming seasons, Grant hopes that the problems would still be resolved since there’s still time.
