Erik Spoelstra’s ex-wife trolled after he signs eight-year, $120m extension
The ex-wife of an NBA coach has become the target of online trolls after missing out on being around for his absurd new contract.
Erik Spoelstra’s ex-wife is laughing over criticism that she “fumbled the bag” after the Miami Heat head coach agreed to a record eight-year contract extension worth more than $A179 million.
Taking to her Instagram Stories, Nikki Spoelstra re-shared the troll’s “way to fumble the bag” comment before elaborating on how years of “harassment” in the public eye has impacted her emotional health.
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“Lol. I’m going to address this comment NOT as it pertains to my personal life choices but as it relates to a general thought process that I believe a lot of people have and that a lot of people have harassed me with over the years,” Nikki stated.
“According to crass, ignorant, uninformed society at large, women can’t ‘win.’
“Women can’t be genuinely in love with someone successful. No, they’re pretending and they’re in it for the money. And if a woman chooses to not be with a successful partner, apparently she’s an idiot.
“And no, I won’t ignore it. Ignoring iT (harassment) for years messed with my emotional health and people need to have a better understanding of how their words can affect other people. Not just me. But people. In general. Be nicer.”
Nikki’s remarks came nearly two months after she and Spoelstra, 53, finalised their divorce after seven years of marriage.
Spoelstra and Nikki, 36, a former Heat dancer and host of the “The Know with Nikki Spo” podcast, confirmed their split in November.
“We have made the difficult yet amicable decision to jointly file to formally end our marriage,” the ex-couple said in a joint statement to the Miami Herald. “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.”
They had separated in recent months prior to the release of their statement, according to the Sun Sentinel.
Spoelstra and Nikki shared three children together: Santiago, 5, Dante, 3, and 1-year-old Ruby.
The coach proposed in the summer of 2015 and they tied the knot in Miami the following year.
Spoelstra’s new deal makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in the NBA.
In 16 seasons as head coach of the Heat, Spoelstra has won two championships and reached the NBA Finals six times.
Miami is currently tied with the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers for fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 21-15.
The Heat host the Oklahoma City Thunder (24-11) on Thursday.
This article originally appeared on the NY Post and was reproduced with permission.