Upheaval for the US basketball team: Longtime NBA coach Erik Spoelstra becomes the new head coach.
Longtime NBA coach Erik Spoelstra will lead the US basketball team at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. As announced by the US association, the 54-year-old succeeds the previous national coach Steve Kerr.
Spoelstra, who has been in charge of the Miami Heat since 2008 and led the club to championships in 2012 and 2013, previously served as Kerr’s assistant.
“It is an incredible honor to be appointed head coach of the US men’s national basketball team,” said Spoelstra, who once played for TuS Herten in Germany.
Before the home Summer Games, Spoelstra will coach the USA at the 2027 World Cup in Qatar. Spoelstra was at Kerr’s side when the USA lost to eventual world champion Germany in the World Cup semifinals in Manila two years ago.
At the Paris Olympics, he celebrated the 17th gold medal for the record Olympic champion before Kerr stepped down.