ERIK Spoelstra’s mother is so superstitious that she stayed home in Portland during the Miami Heat's title series against the Oklahoma Thunder in June, for fear that she would jinx her son's quest for an NBA title.
That Spoelstra's mom believes in superstition is no surprise -- the mom, Elisa Celino, is a Filipina who hails from San Pablo, Laguna.
She believed the reason why the Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 Finals was because she watched it live.
“She thought she was the reason why we lost the season before because she came out for the finals to Miami,” Spoelstra said. “I felt horrible about that, I wish that the reason why we won was because of her, at least I can control that.”
“But this year, she stayed home in Portland and waited until we had the opportunity to win it,” Spoelstra said.
Spoelstra said his mother cried tears of joy when the Miami Heat won the NBA title.
“She was very proud. She cried and we shared a special moment back at home with my entire family about a week later,” said Spoelstra.
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