Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Erik Spoelstra reaches major milestone with Heat win

By Mike J. Asti | Last updated Nov 27, 2025 8:13 AM ET

The Miami Heat's 106-103 win over the Milwaukee Bucks was far more than just any normal victory.

Not only was it a pivotal matchup in group play of the NBA Cup, but it marked a monumental achievement for Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra.

Tyler Herro scored 29 points and Bam Adebayo posted a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, helping to secure win No. 800 for Spoelstra. The longtime Heat head man became the 17th coach in NBA history to reach 800 career wins.

Now 32 wins shy of going up the all-time wins leaderboard, Spoelstra, 55, sits right behind Cotton Fitzsimmons (832). The win was also the 13-6 Heat's 10th in a row.

Congrats to Erik Spoelstra of the @MiamiHEAT for becoming the 17th coach to secure 800 total coaching wins! pic.twitter.com/1NJrj3gE5L
— NBA (@NBA) November 27, 2025

For some more recognizable names, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle is the next active coach in front of Spoelstra with 995 and counting. Spoelstra's boss and Heat president Pat Riley retired with 1,210 overall wins, which is still good enough for fifth place.

But unique to the other coaches in the top 20 in wins, Spoelstra has recorded every single one for one franchise.

Spoelstra's NBA journey has been unique

After starting off his NBA journey as the Heat's video coordinator in 1995, Spoelstra, who played point guard at the University of Portland, worked his way to the bench as an assistant coach. He was then promoted to the top job in 2008, just two seasons removed from Riley leading the Heat to the franchise's first championship.

Tasked with getting the Heat back to the NBA Finals, Spoelstra guided one of the most famous teams in league history early in his tenure. Spoelstra coached a Miami team led by Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh to four-straight trips to the Finals, winning two titles, from 2010-14.

Spoelstra's most recent success validated his championships seasons

But even after James' departure and Bosh's subsequent retirement due to blood clots, Spoelstra eventually proved himself all over again. He led two more completely different Heat teams led by Jimmy Butler to the Finals in 2020 and then again as an eight seed in 2023.

While those teams failed to win Spoelstra his third ring, his continued postseason success validated his resume beyond the "Big 3" years with James.

Showing no signs of slowing down, Spoelstra will further solidify his standing as a future Hall of Famer with every milestone from here on out.

Mike J. Asti

Mike Asti is an experienced media personality and journalist with a vast resume and skillset, most notably from time with TribLIVE Radio and WPXI-TV. Asti now serves as the Managing Editor of WV Sports Now, where he leads the coverage of WVU sports. He has also covered the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and other teams within the Pittsburgh market

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