Erik Spoelstra almost passed up his first job with the Miami Heat for a Grateful Dead

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Most introductions to Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra note his impressive rise up the ranks of the organization. He took a job as a video coordinator in 2005 after spending some time in Germany, became assistant coach a few years later, and was promoted to the head coaching job after the 2007-08 season when Pat Riley retired from the sidelines. He worked his way up, proved himself at every level, and did enough to earn two championships as a head coach and one as an assistant.
According to Spoelstra, though, he almost turned down his interview for his first job with the franchise. And he would have passed up that opportunity of a lifetime for a Grateful Dead show. From a new profile by Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated (via PBT):

Beneath Spoelstra’s bold speeches is a fear of failure that was not always easy to conquer and channel. He accepted the job as head coach at Sherwood (Ore.) High but backed out a week later so he could return to Germany. He only applied for the Heat’s video coordinator position in 1995 as part of a bet with his German teammates. When a club official called with a date for an interview, Spoelstra was inclined to pass because he had tickets to a Grateful Dead concert. Even after landing the gig, he was ready to turn it down until his sister called and asked if he’d lost his mind.​

It's possible that this story is a little overblown, because it's somewhat common for people (particularly the anxious-minded) to hesitate momentarily when considering a great offer simply because they already have competing plans. I've certainly so before coming to my senses and realizing that it was impossible to turn down. Sometimes it takes a second to figure it out.
On the other hand, if you mentioned this story to serious Deadheads then they would probably think Spoelstra made a terrible mistake. If we assume that the Portland native was set to go one of the two shows in the city on May 28 and 29, 1995, then he would have been present at one of the band's final performances before the death of icon Jerry Garcia on August 9. We also don't know if they did particularly good renditions of "Jack Straw," "Dire Wolf," and various jams from either date. Can you really put a price on such memories, however hazy? Even if the alternative was setting on a course towards millions of dollars and international fame?
Then again, Spo probably wasn't that big a fan. If he had been, he would've had plans for the entire West Coast leg of the tour, not just one show.

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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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