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MIAMI – Maghaharap ang  dalawang NBA coach na  kilala sa unang pantig ng kanilang apel-yido at magtatagisan ng kanilang talino sa NBA Finals.

Si Miami coach Erik Spoelstra ay kilala bilang ‘Spo’ habang si San Antonio coach Gregg Popo-vich ay kilala bilang ‘Pop.’

Si Spo ay laging nakikitang de-kurbata at laging nasa isip ang statistics. Si Pop ay hindi mahilig magsuot ng kurbata at mas gustong pag-usapan ang alak.

Parehong ayaw ng dalawa na isa-publiko ang kanilang pribadong buhay ngunit hindi ito mangyayari sa kanilang paghaharap sa NBA Finals na punung-puno ng star power – ang ‘Big Three’ mula sa Miami,  ‘Big Three mula sa San Antonio,  four-time MVP na si LeBron James,  four-time champion na si Tim Duncan.

Si Spo at Pop ang nasa spotlight.

“It’s easier to talk about how they are similar versus how they are dissimilar,” sabi ni ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy, isang da-ting NBA coach na bahagi ng broadcast team para sa serye na magsisimula nitong Huwebes sa Miami.

“They are both going to the Hall of Fame. They both have tremendous respect from the coaches they coach against, and they both have a level of humility that I believe shows NBA coaching in the most positive light possible,” dagdag pa nito.

Si Spoelstra ay nasa finals para sa ikatlong pagkakataon at target ang kanyang ikalawang sunod na NBA championship.

Hangad naman ni Popovich ang kanyang pang-limang korona na ang huli ay noong 2007 kung saan tinalo ng Spurs ang Cleveland Cavaliers ni James.

Maaari niyang maka-sama si Phil Jackson bilang tanging coach na nanalo ng NBA cham-pionships sa tatlong magkakaibang dekada.

Sa kasalukuyan, ta-nging sina Jackson, Red Auerbach, John Kundla at Pat Riley – ang mentor ni Spoelstra – ang may limang NBA championship rings bilang head coach.

“Maybe I don’t show it the way I should, but it’s pretty special,” wika ni Popovich matapos talunin ng Spurs ang Memphis at kunin ang West title sa pang-limang pagkakataon.

“I’m just really proud of the group the way they worked all year long to get there, and I’m sure that we’ve been a team that’s probably been written off like they’ve had their day,” dagdag pa nito.

Si Spoelstra naman ang pumalit kay Riley limang seasons na ang nakararaan. Siya ang kumuha kina James at Chris Bosh para makatuwang ni Dwyane Wade sa Miami noong 2010.

 

BIG THREE

CHRIS BOSH

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

COACH

DWYANE WADE

NBA

SAN ANTONIO

SI SPO

SI SPOELSTRA

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