Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, 53, and wife Nikki, a 36-year-old ex-Miami cheerleader, announce their divorce after seven years of marriage and three children: ‘We are entirely dedicated to coparenting’
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and his wife, Nikki, have announced their divorce after seven years of marriage.
‘We have made the difficult yet amicable choice to jointly file to formally end our marriage,’ Erik and Nikki stated in a joint statement given to the Miami Herald. ‘We are both appreciative of our relationship and remain totally dedicated to co-parenting our children and continuing to make them our shared priority.
‘We appreciate everyone’s support as we go to the next stage of our lives and thank you for respecting our family’s privacy.’
Erik, 53, and Nikki, 36, have three children together: 5-year-old Santiago, 3-year-old Dante, and 1-year-old Ruby.
They initially met when Nikki was a squad cheerleader about two decades ago. Although she was just 18 and still a college student at Florida International when she began dancing for the team in 2005, the two ultimately began dating and eventually got married in 2016.
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and his wife, Nikki, have announced their divorce after seven years of marriage. The two met while she was working as one of the team’s dancers
Nikki and Erik Spoelstra are seen together during a Thanksgiving charity event in South Florida
She has also worked as the director of an art gallery and conducts her own podcast.
Now in his 16th season as the Heat’s head coach, Spoelstra has guided Miami to six NBA Finals appearances and, with the help of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, won a pair of titles in 2012 and 2013.
Nikki recently looked back at her time as a dancer and a student in an interview with Lifestyle.
‘During the years with the Heat, I was this platinum blonde with [a voluptuous physique],’ Nikki added. ‘And I remember being at FIU and asking students after class if they wanted to study together. I’d get that expression, like, ‘No, not with this bimbo.’
‘I was growing some confidence then since I was doing well in school [she finished magna cum laude], but it played into one of my biggest insecurities—that I’m not intellectual enough.’
She also revealed their son’s fight with Burkitt lymphoma, an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Santiago has since undergone treatment.
‘He’s well now; he’s healthy,’ Nikki remarked. ‘He’s like a little old soul. He comprehended everything that was going on. He’d add, ‘I’m taking medicine that causes my hair fall out—but my hair is going to grow back even better!’
