Erik Spoelstra’s ex-wife blasts trolls after criticism over the coach’s new lucrative extension in Miami

As soon as it was confirmed that Erik Spoelstra agreed on one of the most lucrative extension deals in NBA history, the Heat coach’s ex-wife Nikki Sapp received a lot of criticism claiming she dropped the news about their divorce before his new deal was confirmed. 

At the start of the week, the former player accepted an eight-year contract extension which is reportedly worth over $120 million. Erik, who is currently in his 16th campaign at the Heat’s helm, also announced his divorce weeks earlier.

“Way to fumble the bag,” social media trolls immediately started to criticize Sapp, who spoke out against people doubting her integrity.

Erik Spoelstra’s ex-wife, Nikki, was hit with a “way to fumble the bag” comment by an illustrious member of social media this week. The comment came after Erik landed a record eight-year contract extension with the Miami Heat worth more than $120 million. pic.twitter.com/HOqEtm2sBd

— OutKick (@Outkick) January 11, 2024

“Lol. I’m going to address this comment NOT as it pertains to my personal life choices but as it relates to a general thought process that I believe a lot of people have and that a lot of people have harassed me with over the years,” she wrote on her Instagram account. “According to crass, ignorant, uninformed society at large, women can’t ‘win.’

One of the critics said: “Women can’t be genuinely in love with someone successful. No, they’re pretending and they’re in it for the money. And if a woman chooses to not be with a successful partner, apparently she’s an idiot.”

According to Spoelstra’s ex-wife, these comments truly affect her well being, as they’ve “messed with my emotional health and people need to have a better understanding of how their words can affect other people.”

The couple announced their divorce in a joint statement back in November.”We have made the difficult yet amicable decision to jointly file to formally end our marriage. We are both grateful for our relationship and remain fully committed to co-parenting our children and continuing to make them our shared priority.

“We appreciate everyone’s support as we move to the next stage of our lives and thank you for respecting our family’s privacy,” it states about their 7-year marriage.

Spoelstra has been part of the Heat organization for 26 years and has worked in all different parts of the franchise

Erik is already a legend in South Beach. He first landed in Miami in 1997 and didn’t take over Pat Riley’s coaching job over a decade later. After starting as head coach in the 2008/09 NBA season, he helped guide the roster to two championships in 2012 and 2013.

Spoelstra was also named one of the top 15 coaches in NBA history, while his ex-wife Nikki is a former Heat dancer and the current host of a popular podcast called “The Know with Nikki Spo.”

“We’re about the sweat and the grind,” he said before this current season started. “It’s about when nobody’s watching. We have a saying at the Heat: ‘There’s a beauty in the grind, there’s a beauty in the sweat.’ That’s about what happens behind the scenes.”

As Spoelstra passed Pat Riley as Miami’s win leader back in 2017, he detailed the secret behind his extended success in Florida. “We’ve had incredible stability and consistency over the years,” Erik expressed. “I’ve been very fortunate to work for who I work for.”