“That’s hell of a chess move!” Shaquille O’Neal AMUSED by Miami Heat handing $120 million to Erik Spoelstra right after divorce

Shaquille O'Neal had a few comments on Miami Heat's decision to offer the $120 million contract to Erik Spoelstra.

“That’s hell of a chess move!” Shaquille O’Neal AMUSED by Miami Heat handing $120 million to Erik Spoelstra right after divorce

Erik Spoelstra has become the highest paid NBA coach in history. (Image via SI)

Miami Heat has aptly rewarded their head coach Erik Spoelstra with a humungous 8-year deal that makes the head coach the highest paid in the entire NBA. Amounting to a whopping $120 million, the contract broke the previous record, held by the legendary Gregg Popovich.

The deal has obviously grabbed eyeballs and makes Erik Spoelstra only the second coach to have received a contract in excess of $100 million. The news comes after Spoelstra’s recent divorce from Nikki Sapp, and led to a hilarious comment from Shaquille O’Neal, in particular.

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Shaq, during a segment of his The Big podcast, claimed that the franchise may have executed a strategic move, effectively ensuring that Spoelstra’s ex-wife will not be entitled to the newfound wealth:

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So apparently Erik Spoelstra has been going through a divorce. So his divorce got final, and a couple of days later they [Miami Heat] made him one of the highest-paid NBA coaches ever. ... I don't think they did that on purpose, but if they did, that's a hell of a chess move.

Spoelstra has led the Miami Heat to 2 NBA championships in 2012 and 13, alongside 4 Conference titles. The contract came just weeks after Spoelstra and Sapp announced the end of their marriage, back in November 2023.

Erik Spoelstra signs groundbreaking contract with Miami Heat

The 8-year deal means that the Heat are planning their immediate future with Spoelstra in their mind. The 53-year-old has become a permanent face of the franchise alongside Pat Riley and is one of the biggest reasons the Heat have managed to maintain their famous team culture.

In recent years, the Miami Heat have continued to be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference despite stiff competition. They have been to the Finals twice and were hoping to snag Damian Lillard in the offseason to ensure another deep Playoff run.

Erik Spoelstra has had multiple successful campaigns for the Miami Heat. (Image via CNN)

However, Lillard ended up moving to the Milwaukee Bucks instead, which has left the Heat in a peculiar position. They are currently 6th with a 24-17 record, and have a roster crying out for another superstar alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.

Still, under Erik Spoelstra, the Miami Heat have regularly exceeded expectations and will be hoping to do something similar in the current campaign. 

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