Erik Spoelstra Apologized To Ramona Shelburne After His Response To A Question About Making Nikola Jokic A Scorer

In Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets, Nikola Jokic logged 41 points and a playoff-low four assists as Miami stole homecourt advantage with a 111-108 victory. Because of the Heat’s win and Jokic’s abnormally low assist total, as well as some quieter-than-usual nights from Jokic’s supporting cast, a prevailing storyline was that Miami opted to defend Jokic like a scorer and take away his playmaking opportunities.

After the game, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne began asking Erik Spoelstra about the narrative that the Heat had turned Jokic into a scorer. Before Shelburne could finish her question, however, Spoelstra cut her off to express his frustration about the idea that someone as great as Jokic can be turned into solely a scorer or passer.

A day later, on NBA Today, Shelburne revealed that Spoelstra texted her and apologized, saying he wasn’t sure why he responded the way he did to that question.

“First of all, Erik Spoelstra and I are fine. We talked after the game,” Shelburne said. “He watched that clip back and texted me this morning, ‘Sorry, I don’t know why I said that.’ It was fine. In the heat of the moment, after a game like that, when things are intense, people say things and nothing is personal, especially during this time of year, during the Finals.”

There clearly appears to be no animosity between Spoelstra and Shelburne, and it’s nice to see how quickly both parties moved past the viral clip. Spoelstra’s gesture is thoughtful, even if Shelburne didn’t seem bothered by his response and understands it’s simply the nature of these pressers sometimes.