NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CELTICS VS. HEAT

May 25, 2022

Erik Spoelstra

Miami Heat

Game 5: Pregame

ERIK SPOELSTRA: Before I start, I would like to just say something. Obviously, it was just tragic news yesterday. I left shootaround the other day, and it was before Game 1, I went straight to school to pick up my boys. My wife used to be a junior high teacher. We're just devastated by the news.

I can't even imagine what that community and the families are feeling in that kind of scenario, going to school and seeing all the police cars and everything.

I think there's certainly -- after continued events, there's a call to action. I think everybody is trying to figure out a way to be heard, to force some kind of change from the people that can make change. I just really feel for all the families.

Q. With Tyler, was there something you were hoping to see in the interim, and what did you see to lead to this decision of being out again?

ERIK SPOELSTRA: I mean, obviously you have hope, but I kind of had an idea when we were leaving that he does need some rest and recovery. These can be tricky. I know how badly he wants to be out there, and that's why we'll listen to him, but these decisions have to be made by the training staff and our doctors.

We just have to be responsible to our guys as human beings. This is admirable what both sides are doing right now, but you don't want to be irresponsible, as well.

Q. You had a similar message on February 4, 2018, after the Parkland shooting. Just as a basketball coach but also a human being and a father, how difficult is it to --

ERIK SPOELSTRA: Compartmentalize. It is tough. It's very tough. My wife and I had kind of a tough afternoon reflecting on it last night for those very reasons, and it does feel like just yesterday that we were going up there and spending time in that community, and just the shock that it was happening, so real in our neighborhood really, in our community. But it just continues to happen.

I know everybody is saying that there needs to be a call to action, and I think what this is forcing people to do is just to figure it out, including myself. We don't have the answers, but we want to be heard to be able to force change to the people that can actually make the change.