Ex-NBA star Jason Williams wishes he played under ‘great person’ Erik Spoelstra
MANILA, Philippines – NBA champion Jason Williams had the pleasure of working with Filipino-American coach Erik Spoelstra during his time with the Miami Heat in the 2000s.
Williams, who won his only NBA championship with the Heat in 2006, played in Miami during Spoelstra's time as an assistant coach to Pat Riley.
Even if Spoelstra wasn't the one handling the clipboard during his stint with the Heat, the flashy point guard had nothing but praise for Spoelstra's skills.
"Erik Spoelstra's one of the greatest persons in the world and I'm not just saying that because I'm here in the Philippines," said Williams during his brief visit to the country for the NBA 3X event.
"But really, he's a good guy. I wish I would've gotten to play for him when he was a head coach, but I definitely enjoyed my time with him in Miami for sure." he added.
Williams was the starting point guard for Riley during those times, and helped the Heat win it all in that 2005-06 season.
But Williams' departure from Miami after the 2007-08 season meant that he left just before Spoelstra took over the reins from Riley in April 2008.
Williams went on to play for two more teams — the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies — before retiring from the league in 2011.
Meanwhile, Spoelstra has since then won two NBA championships with the Heat and is the second longest-tenured coach in the NBA, next only to San Antonio Spurs legend Gregg Popovich.
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