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Miami Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra and his wife Nikki have shared the news of their divorce. The couple was married for seven years and shares three children: Santiago, 5, Dane, 3, and Ruby, 1.
The news were confirmed by the Miami Herald. “We have made the difficult yet amicable decision to jointly file to formally end our marriage,” reads the couple’s joint statement. “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.”
Erik is the long term coach of the Miami Heats, being a part of the team for the past 16 seasons. He met Nikki through the team, with her being a Miami Heat dancer. In his tenure, he’s taken the Heats to six NBA finals and two championships. He’s the winningest coach in the team’s history in regular season and playoffs.
Nikki Spoelstra’s last Instagram post
Earlier this week, Nikki shared a video on Instagram. The clip with herself doing all sorts of activities, including hanging out with her kids, working on her podcast and working out. “Happy Monday!” she wrote in the caption. “For anyone going through a hard time…. Take a minute (or a bunch of them) and then DOUBLE DOWN ON YOURSELF.”
Last year, Nikki announced that her son Santiago was in remission after being diagnosed with Burkitt Lymphoma, a rare cancer. She discussed her experience on Instagram, revealing how brave her son was and the gratitude she learned when he entered remission. “He was… and continues to be.. so brave. He did not lose his joy. So many friends and loved ones made sure that none of us did,” she wrote in the post. “Yesterday, our big boy got to ring the bell in the cancer wing at Nicklaus, and the gratitude I feel is overwhelming. REMISSION.”