Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has a chance in the 2023 NBA Finals to add to what is already a championship-caliber coaching career.
Spoelstra already is one of a handful of coaches with multiple NBA championships to their name, an illustrious group that includes such names as Phil Jackson, Red Auerbach, Pat Riley and more. (Though, to be fair, he still has a ways to go if he is to catch up with those all-time greats).
Still, the 15-year NBA coach has an opportunity rarely afforded in the league. And, win or lose, his Heat team has already made history as just the second 8 seed in history to make the NBA Finals. If they beat Nikola Jokic and the top-seeded Nuggets — still looking for their first title — they will become the first 8 seed to win an NBA championship.
A win vs. Denver would also mark Spoelstra's first championship since 2013, when the superteam comprising Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh led the Heat to two championships in four straight trips to the finals.
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Will the 2023 Finals mark yet another championship for Spoelstra's career, or will it result in yet another bitter defeat on the ultimate stage in the sport? Until the Heat and Denver answer that question, here's everything you need to know about where he stands among the coaches with the most NBA championships:
How many NBA championships does Erik Spoelstra have?
Spoelstra has two NBA championships as a head coach heading into the 2023 NBA Finals. He also has another, as an assistant to Pat Riley, in 2006. This will be the Heat's sixth Finals appearance with Spoelstra serving as head coach.
Erik Spoelstra NBA Finals record
Spoelstra thus far is 2-3 in his NBA Finals appearances. Miami lost its first Finals appearance under Spoelstra in 2011 before winning back-to-back championships in 2012 and '13. The Heat lost again in 2014, the final of a four-year stretch of Finals appearances.
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Miami didn't reach the Finals again until 2020, when the entirety of the NBA playoffs were held in the Orlando, Fla. bubble. They lost to LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers giving Spoelstra his current Finals record.
Here's a year-by-year breakdown of Spoelstra's NBA Finals record:
| Finals | Opponent | Won? | Record (games) |
| 2011 | Mavericks | No | 0-1 (2-4) |
| 2012 | Thunder | Yes | 1-1 (4-1) |
| 2013 | Spurs | Yes | 2-1 (4-3) |
| 2014 | Spurs | No | 2-2 (1-4) |
| 2020 | Lakers | No | 2-3 (2-4) |
| Career | — | — | 2-3 (13-16) |
Which coach has the most NBA championships?
No coach has won more NBA championships than Jackson, with 11 total. He won his first six with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and the '90s-era Bulls. Following his tenure in Chicago, Jackson took over in Los Angeles to win another five with Kobe Bryant.
MORE: How many rings does Pat Riley have?
NBA championship-winning coaches, ranked
Spoelstra currently is tied for seventh in NBA history with two championships. He is one of only three active NBA coaches with more than one NBA championship, joining the Warriors' Steve Kerr (four) and Spurs' Gregg Popovich (five).
Here's where Spoelstra ranks among the coaches with at least one NBA championship:
| Place | Coach | Championships | Finals record (games) |
| 1. | Phil Jackson | 11 | 11-2 (47-26) |
| 2. | Red Auerbach | 9 | 9-1 (40-25) |
| T-3. | Joe Kundla | 5 | 5-0 (20-11) |
| T-3. | Pat Riley | 5 | 5-4 (26-27) |
| T-3. | Gregg Popovich | 5 | 5-1 (23-11) |
| 6. | Steve Kerr | 4 | 4-2 (21-13) |
| T-7. | Chuck Daly | 2 | 2-1 (11-5) |
| T-7. | Alex Hannum | 2 | 2-2 (12-12) |
| T-7. | Tom Heinsohn | 2 | 2-0 (8-5) |
| T-7. | Red Holzman | 2 | 2-1 (9-8) |
| T-7. | K.C. Jones | 2 | 2-2 (12-13) |
| T-7. | Bill Russell | 2 | 2-0 (8-5) |
| T-7. | Rudy Tomjanovich | 2 | 2-0 (8-3) |
| T-7. | Erik Spoelstra | 2 | 2-3 (13-16) |