Sure enough, Spoelstra's homeland felt like home.
"You see the streets, a lot of stretches of poverty and low-income housing," Spoelstra said. "But you see basketball hoops everywhere, and kids playing ball. Even if it's just a broken rim on the side of a building and kids playing without any shoes, you see the game being played everywhere."
Calling it "an incredible experience," Spoelstra is in the midst of a trip to the Philippines as part of a sports envoy program put together by the State Department and the NBA. Spoelstra had lobbied to make such a journey for years, especially since he hadn't seen the Philippines or many of his relatives there since he was 3.
The Philippines, Spoelstra said, is one of only three nations where basketball is the most popular sport, joining Serbia and Lithuania. Everywhere he's been, the native son-his mother hails from the Philippines-has drawn large and captive audiences.
"I've had the full gamut of emotions," Spoelstra said Thursday by phone from Manila, where he was at a dinner more than 15 hours after his jam-packed daily schedule of events began. "I was really excited, enthusiastic, anxious coming into the week, a little bit nervous. But I certainly have a great deal of pride about my heritage and it's been a very special week."
Along with him for the trip are, among others, Heat assistants David Fizdale and Chad Kammerer and former WNBA standout Sue Wicks.
It's a journey Spoelstra planned to make almost two decades ago. Done with college basketball and looking for a place to play overseas, Spoelstra thought going to the Philippines would be a logical move. But he wanted to see Europe as well, so Spoelstra signed with a team in Germany, thinking his Filipino quest would resume in a couple years.
Plans changed. The Heat came calling with a job offer, and Spoelstra eventually worked his way from the video room to the head coach's chair, never seeing the Philippines again until now.
"It's probably the only regret-not the way it turned out, obviously-but I wish I could have played here for at least a season," Spoelstra said.
Spoelstra is running clinics on the trip, talking to hundreds of kids at a time in some cases.
He's been approached for photos nearly every step of the way, from kids and adults alike, and even spoke at halftime of a college game to thank Filipinos for their kindness during the trip. He'll be back in Miami next week after a whirlwind 10 days, but says he doesn't anticipate needing much down time before getting back into Heat business.
"To be here, 6,000 miles away, and feel that sense of being a Filipino, it's a special feeling," Spoelstra said.
NOTES: Heat president Pat Riley will meet this weekend with free agent point guard Jamaal Tinsley, who was shunned by the Indiana Pacers last season. The Heat have considered adding a veteran to play behind Mario Chalmers, who started all 89 regular-season and playoff games in his rookie campaign.
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