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First Posted: 9/29/2013

MIAMI — Erik Spoelstra has been with the Miami Heat for nearly two decades, and their relationship won’t be ending anytime soon.

Spoelstra has signed a multiyear extension to remain as coach of the two-time defending NBA champion Heat, the team said Sunday afternoon. The move comes one day after the Heat announced several other front-office moves, including promoting Andy Elisburg to general manager and hiring Juwan Howard as an assistant coach.

Spoelstra is 260-134 in his first five seasons with Miami, going to the playoffs in each of those years, the NBA finals in each of the last three and winning the title in 2012 and 2013. His resume suggests that he’s already well on a Hall of Fame path: Only 12 other men in NBA history multiple championships as a coach, and only seven others have collected rings in back-to-back years.

He’s won while helping LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh not only figure out ways to play with one another, but having each of those stars change their game to make everything fit within the Heat system.

Last season may have been Spoelstra’s best coaching job.

The Heat rolled through the regular season, winning 27 straight games at one point on the way to a 66-16 record. Then in the playoffs, Miami had to rally from a 1-0 second-round deficit against Chicago and ultimately had to grind out seven-game victories over Indiana in the Eastern Conference finals and San Antonio in the NBA Finals.