For years, Erik Spoelstra sat alongside on the Miami Heat bench and stewed. He couldn’t understand how Bob McAdoo, then an assistant coach, had been bypassed when the NBA selected 50 players for the league’s 50th Anniversary team in 1996.
So when the invitation came to be part of the selection panel for the just-announced 75th Anniversary team, the Heat’s coach made sure he had time on his schedule to participate.
“Look, I won’t get into all of ’em,” Spoelstra said of the 76 players selected to the 75th Anniversary team (due to a tie). “But without a doubt, the first guy that I voted for was Bob McAdoo, without a doubt.
“That was really one of the reasons when they asked me if I wanted to do it, your first instinct is, ‘Whoa, that’s some pressure. Who else are you asking?’ And obviously they asked virtually everybody to get a wide spectrum of people to vote.”
Among those also on the panel was Heat President Pat Riley, who coached McAdoo to NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1982 and ’85.
But it was Spoelstra who was particularly single-minded about the 1975 NBA Most Valuable Player, who also was a five-time All-Star and three-time NBA scoring champion.
So he took on the challenge.
“I was like ‘OK, well Bob should have been on that Top 50, so if I can do anything, I’m going to do it, and hopefully he gets that vote and it’s a vote that counts,’ ” Spoelstra said. “But he’s so deserving of that.”
McAdoo currently works as a Heat scout and team ambassador.
In all, five former Heat players made the 75th Anniversary team: Ray Allen, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Gary Payton and Dwyane Wade. All were part of Heat championship rosters.
The final selections were announced Thursday night shortly before the Heat defeated the Milwaukee Bucks at FTX Arena in their season opener. When it was over, McAdoo was in the Heat locker room receiving congratulations.
“He’s really excited about that,” Spoelstra said, as the Heat turned their attention to Saturday night’s road game against the Indiana Pacers. “And then all of the other Heat guys, of course, as well, I think is really cool.
“So I just kind of went down one by one . . . Heat guys. Come on, what are you supposed to do?”
Among those who came up short were two former Heat players who are in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, centers Alonzo Mourning and Chris Bosh.
“And Zo and CB, they were like right there at the top of my list, too,” Spoelstra said.
The P.J. Factor
Spoelstra and his players were quick to cite the impact of offseason acquisition P.J. Tucker in the 137-95 blowout of the Milwaukee Bucks, Tucker’s previous team.
Tucker scored only eight points but finished the night a game-best +31.
“He’s really inspiring. He’s so inspiring,” Spoelstra said of defensive tenacity that Tucker delivered at the start, setting the tone for the night.
“He’s literally like this in every single practice. You have to like dial him down. I mean he’s competing every single possession like it’s his last possession. He’s yelling at people to do their job defensively. And all the details and everything, he just takes so much pride on that side of the floor.”
Spoelstra said Tucker has also proven to be a quick study.
“He can pick up on a lot of different schemes,” he said. “He’s a great communicator. All of that stuff. It just activates your defense, activates our guys who are also really good defenders as well.”
