OREGON, USA — Known as "Coach Spo," Erik Spoelstra is a two-time NBA champion and head coach of the Miami Heat. Spoelstra grew up in Portland, Oregon, and graduated from Jesuit High School in 1988.
His high school teachers said it was always evident that he was going to aspire to play or coach at a high level. After graduating from Jesuit High, he played college basketball at the University of Portland. During his college career, he was named freshman of the year in the West Coast Conference.
Spoelstra still remains among the leaders in multiple categories and also a member of the 1000-point club. But his big break came in 1995 when he got a coaching job with the Miami Heat and worked his way up from the film room to assistant coach.
When he was 37 years old, he became the youngest head coach in the NBA. As a Filipino-American, Spoelstra also became the first Asian-American head coach in the four major North American sports leagues.
During his time in the league, he has shared his love for the game in his mother's home country of the Philippines, teaching a basketball clinic at a high school in Manilla.
Spoelstra has done nothing but win during his career: He won back-to-back NBA titles in 2012 and 2013, and coached some of the best — including Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. Like those two, he's destined for the Hall of Fame — where he'll proudly be representing Portland.
KGW's Breaking Barriers series features Oregonians making a difference in the world of sports, arts, government, business and more. You'll see stories throughout May featuring stories for Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. You can watch them all here.
Watch: Breaking Barriers