Translator's Note: The original article was published in The Athletic. The data in the article are as of the time of publication of the original article (October 14th, local time). The dates and times involved are all local time.

In September, the decision-makers of the US men's basketball team flew to Miami to banquet the head coach candidates they thought would coach the US men's basketball team to the next FIBA ​​World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

And deep down, that man, Eric Spoelstra, must know the purpose of their trip - to extend an invitation. The 54-year-old Spoelstra has coached the Heat for 17 years and is a two-time NBA championship coach. He's well-informed enough to know that the sole purpose of Grant Hill and Sean Ford's trip is to invite him to be the next head coach of USA Basketball, or at least to conduct a formal inquiry for this purpose. Because rejecting others is usually done with just one phone call.

This restaurant is both trendy and casual. Located in the heart of the city, just three blocks from the Heat's home court, it has caviar on the menu (two ounces of Royal Ocetra caviar is $415) and, at the top of the menu, a specialty menu called the "I Don't Care" — a combination of shellfish, steak, seafood and seasonal dishes for $225 per person. The wine list is extremely extensive, with seven sommeliers listed on the title page. On page 24, there is a bottle of 2009 Romanee-Conti worth $48,000.

Ford has long been responsible for the daily operations of the US men's basketball program. Dine out with him and you'll feel like a VIP: he'll order food and drinks in advance so his guests can really relax or, if the occasion calls for it, get down to business.

Last month, when Ford and Hill -- you may know him as one of the greatest college players of all time, a multiple-time NBA All-Star, a commentator on the NCAA's Final Four, or, for the purposes of this discussion, the American Men's When Spoelstra was invited to dinner by the general manager of the Basketball Basketball Team (which meant he would be working with Ford to assemble the roster), shortly after they sat down, he presented him with a statement and a question:

We would like to appoint you as the next head coach of the USA Basketball Men's National Team. Do you accept?

"Without a doubt, without a doubt," Spoelstra later told The The Athletic described his answer this way, "I mean, I had goosebumps. It still felt unreal, it was still a surprise. Even just going to have a meal, it was an incredible honor. I was so honored and humbled by it."

"You know, to be able to have that The opportunity to represent your country is a dream. And as a head coach, you understand the responsibility, the expectations and the legacy that comes with coaching this team. So, you know, it is a great honor to be selected as the head coach."

On Tuesday, Spoelstra was officially named the next head coach of the United States men's basketball team for the World Cup and Olympic Games, replacing Steve Kerr. Spoelstra's appointment has been approved by USA Basketball's board of directors. He served as an assistant on Cole's coaching staff, participated in the 2023 World Cup and 2024 Olympics with the team, and helped the US men's basketball team win five consecutive Olympic championships in Paris. Prior to that, he also coached the US men's basketball selection team to help the team prepare for the Tokyo Olympics.

"I have known Erik Spoelstra for nearly two decades and have gotten to know him even better during our time together in USA Basketball," Hill said in a press release. Coach, he is also an outstanding colleague, friend and father, all of which make him the perfect candidate to continue the glorious tradition of USA Basketball head coach and coach the team until 2028."

Spoelstra said that his assistant coach candidate has not yet been determined. As for whether a mini training camp will be held for potential national team players in the summer of 2026 before the 2027 World Cup in Qatar, it has not yet been decided.

In a recent interview with The Athletic, Spoelstra mentioned all the key people who brought him into the USA Basketball program: from Gregg Popovich, Jerry Colangelo and Sean Ford who invited him to coach the draft team in 2021, to Kerr who selected him as an assistant coach, to Hill who has been working with him since 2023. USA Basketball went undefeated last summer, including preseason games and all Olympic games in Paris. But in 2023, the U.S. men's basketball team lost three of its last four games and finished fourth in the World Cup. Overall, USA Basketball has won 17 Olympic gold medals and five World Cup titles, but has not won the latter since 2014.

"I think going to the World Cup really helped us and prepared us for the Olympics," Spoelstra said. "When you play internationally and follow FIBA ​​rules, you have to accept and embrace the reality that it's a different game. The basketball is still the same basketball, the court is the same court, but the game is shorter. The way the calls are called is different. The three-point line is different, obviously there are no illegal defense rules, and it is a single elimination system. . So the game is fast-paced and can be brutal, not just for USA Basketball but for all participating teams. You can't predict what will happen. "

In NBA circles, Spoelstra is known as an excellent tactician and on-the-spot coach on both offense and defense. He is also a strict, demanding, and responsible expert. For nearly two decades, he has been the guardian of the "Heat culture" established by Pat Riley in Miami. His 757 regular-season wins rank third among active coaches, behind only Doc Rivers and Rick Carlisle.. Spoelstra led the Heat to six NBA Finals and was an assistant coach under Riley when the Heat won the 2006 championship. Among all active NBA coaches, Spoelstra is the longest-serving head coach with the same team.

When asked whether he would bring some of the "Heat culture" to USA Basketball, or what kind of Heat imprint the US men's basketball team under his coaching would have, Spoelstra quickly retorted: "I don't think so, USA Basketball has its own culture. "

"It's an honor in itself to be part of the history and legacy of USA Basketball," Spoelstra said. "What I love about it is that it's very different than the NBA. I love seeing players step up and speak out. ‘I wanted to be a part of it and was willing to do whatever was required of me. I'm willing to make sacrifices. I would love to play a different character. I won’t be the number one choice. I’d love to be a role player’. Despite the need to give up six weeks of the offseason, everyone is on the same page. It's such an honor to be a part of that, to represent your country, to be a part of a life and a basketball experience. "

One of the players Spoelstra is referring to is the Heat's star center and two-time Olympic gold medalist Bam Adebayo. Spoelstra recalled that when news broke last week that he would be named the new head coach of USA Basketball, he was about to start training when he was interrupted by Adebayo. "Wow, wow, wait a minute, coach, I have some news to tell you first. Come on, we can't just let this matter pass." Adebayor said to Spoelstra in front of other Heat players. Spoelstra said it was a "cool moment."

Of course, there is still a long, long time before the selection of the next U.S. Olympic men's basketball team (the Olympic lineup should be dominated by veterans, while the World Cup lineup is expected to be composed of younger or rising NBA stars), but Spoelstra revealed that Adebayo "always said he would give his best, even before I was appointed as the head coach."

So, maybe the next U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team will have a bit of a Heat flavor. It also gave Ford, Hill and Spoelstra all the more reason to book a table at the Maple Ash restaurant a few blocks from the Heat's home court.

Author: Joe Vardon

Translator: GWayNe