When LeBron James and his talents were in South Beach, Erik Spoelstra served as the head coach of the Eastern Conference All-Stars (2013).
Spoelstra will be coaching in the All-Star Game again this year, but this time against LeBron. Spoelstra will coach Team Durant — and go against Team LeBron — on Feb. 20 in Cleveland.
When the 76ers beat the Bulls on Sunday, it meant the Heat had the best record in the Eastern Conference (by half a game) on Feb. 6, the cutoff date to choose an All-Star coach. If Chicago had won that game, Billy Donovan would have coached Team Durant.
Monty Williams of the Phoenix Suns will coach Team LeBron. Neither coach knows their roster beyond the captains (Spoelstra will not even have that as Durant will not play due to a sprained knee), the teams will be chosen in a playground-style, alternating-pick draft this Thursday, Feb. 10, on TNT. LeBron and Durant will choose from a pool of All-Star starters (voted in largely by the fans) and reserves (selected by the league’s coaches).
The All-Star Game is at 8 p.m. Eastern on Feb. 20 and broadcast on TNT.
