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James and most of the players were hanging out near the bar area of the third floor when I finally breached the multiple levels of security in place to keep out the crazies. The place was packed full of Americans and other internationals. Of the Heat’s contingent, there were the players, coach Erik Spoelstra, a few staff members and a couple of executives. A section of the floor space had been roped off for the players and a mass of people, men and women, were surrounding the velvet barrier. These were the traditional sort of groupies I have become accustomed to in three seasons covering the Heat. Finally, I felt at home. Miami Herald

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Erik Spoelstra, China 

Well, I guess we now know that Terrel Harris is going to make the team. Harris and Dexter Pittman were introduced as endorsers of Peak on Saturday in Shanghai during a promotional press conference that included Shane Battier. Peak is a local sponsor of the Heat. Nothing is certain, but it seems unlikely for Heat coach Erik Spoelstra to cut Harris at this point. Harris does not have a guaranteed contract for this season. Miami Herald

Miami Heat, Erik Spoelstra, Sneakers, Dexter Pittman, Shane Battier, Terrel Harris 

Tim Reynolds: D-Wade on Spo canceling 2-a-days so far: "He's done a 360-plus-times-two with the way he's approached things. I think it's good." Twitter @ByTimReynolds

Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade, Erik Spoelstra 

Since signing Ray Allen in July, the Heat have been talking about ways to best integrate the league’s all-time leading 3-point shooter into the lineup — a process that shifts more to the practice floor now that training camp is open. ‘‘He strikes fear,’’ Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Saturday. ‘‘We know about that fear, because every time he found his way open behind the 3-point line, as a collective staff, we would say, ‘Oh . . . ’ thinking the worst.’’ Boston Globe

Miami Heat, Ray Allen, Erik Spoelstra, Training Camp 

Tom Haberstroh: Will the Heat change because of the NBA's increased attention on flopping? Spo: "Absolutely not." Twitter @tomhaberstroh

Miami Heat, Erik Spoelstra 

This time the journey will include offseason free-agent acquisitions Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. "It almost seems as if they've rewound the clock," Spoelstra said of the veteran 3-point specialists. "Ray seems like he's in the mid-20s. "We haven't really had a catch-and-shoot player with ability and skill set of Ray." Spoelstra said Lewis also appears rejuvenated and beyond his knee issues. "First time in two years he's been able to lean down and pick up his kids," Spoelstra said of Lewis. "The last two and a half weeks he's been playing and scrimmaging. And immediately you start to see his skill set the hurt us so much when he was with Orlando." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Miami Heat, Erik Spoelstra, Rashard Lewis, Injuries 

Translation: A new year, a fresh start. "We're the only team right now," he said, "that can have an opportunity to win a title two years in a row." That 2012 NBA championship? That was so three months ago. "We'll find out a lot more about ourselves in this new journey," Spoelstra said, "and it shouldn't be the same journey." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Miami Heat, Coaching, Erik Spoelstra 

"I hope to play faster," he said. "We turned it up a gear last year and I think we have the personnel to hopefully go even faster. And I think with a normal training camp and a full season, we can build that habit a little bit more." The Heat's move to more of a transition game came in the wake of an NBA lockout that cancelled the team's summer program and curtailed the preseason. A faster tempo in 2012-13 also would allow the Heat to maximize the contribution of Ray Allen, the team's prime free-agent offseason addition. "He's a Hall of Fame-type catch-and-shoot player," Spoelstra said. "We haven't had that element before in our offense. So it's been a lot of fun, trying to X-and-O and come up with new ways to get him open. I don't want to overthink it. I don't want to totally change what we do, but that's a great element to have, that type of weapon." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Miami Heat, Ray Allen, Erik Spoelstra 

Erik Spoelstra tells WQAM he plans to have the Heat play even fast this coming season, "We turned it up a gear last year and I think we have the personnel to hopefully go even faster. And I think with a normal training camp and a full season, we can build that habit a little bit more." Sulia

Miami Heat, Coaching, Erik Spoelstra 

Wade discusses his confrontation with coach Erik Spoelstra in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Indiana Pacers, stressing that a balky knee minimized his coach's possible intent of the moment. "He might have been trying to see what would happen if he could get me to play mad, which is when I usually play well," he writes. "But this was me playing frustrated, very different from playing mad." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade, Coaching, Erik Spoelstra 

He writes effusively of the championship contribution of Spoelstra, whom he says, "opened my eyes to new lessons of what being a champion is all about." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade, Coaching, Erik Spoelstra 

Erik Spoelstra offered his thoughts today on 640Sports on the Lakers' acquisition of Dwight Howard, "At the end of the day I think we all, eventually, thought he'd find his way to L.A., yeah, in some way or another. They have the most pieces. I'm surprised they were able to do it without giving up maybe [Pau] Gasol in that deal, but they have a history of getting those bigs. And it just seems to happen for that franchise." Sulia

Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard, Erik Spoelstra 

Erik Spoelstra's latest gig? That would be "brand ambassador of Smart Infinity." Yes, the Miami Heat's championship coach has joined Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh in the commercial realm, albeit for a telecommunications company in the Philippines, his ancestral homeland. In the spot, taped during his recent trip to the Philippines, where his mother was born, Spoelstra says: "It started when I was a kid. I think at some point in high school or college I developed a passion to get into coaching, an attitude that you have to prove yourself. "Motivation, and discipline, toughness, I try to embody all of those qualities, as well. "Players have to trust that you can help them win." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Miami Heat, Coaching, Erik Spoelstra 

On Friday morning, Spoelstra played the role his superstars are so accustomed to – flash a smile in front of rolling cameras and under bright spotlights for a TV commercial. Yes, it’s Spoelstra’s first appearance on TV not holding a playbook or making hand signals and giving out instructions. philstar.com

Miami Heat, Erik Spoelstra 

The country’s telecommunication giant SMART – whose chairman Manny V. Pangilinan also owns the Talk n’ Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association and was reported to be in the running to buy the Sacramento Kings franchise in the NBA – gave Spoelstra his first ever TV commercial. philstar.com

Miami Heat, Erik Spoelstra 

President Benigno S Aquino III received Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra during a courtesy call in Malacanang on Thursday. Spoelstra met with the President after holding a welcome-back press conference at the Marriott Hotel Manila on Thursday. Asian Journal

Miami Heat, Erik Spoelstra, Philippines 

As for risk of NBA player injury in Olympics, Erik Spoelstra during stop in Singapore said, "The risk of injury will always be there in any sport, no matter what you do. It can happen in training or in the official games, in competition. But all the other benefits of the Olympics and being part of something so special, I think outweigh and transcend any risk." Sulia

Miami Heat, Erik Spoelstra, Olympics 

National Basketball Association (NBA) fans can expect more foreign players including Asians in the US professional league, the Asian-American coach of NBA champions Miami Heat said Monday. "The game of basketball... has become global and the NBA will search for players and talent in any country in any region of the world as long as that talent can help teams win," said Erik Spoelstra. Yahoo! Sports Philippines

Miami Heat, Erik Spoelstra 

"I don't see why there won't continue to be players from Asia, from Europe, from South America, one of these days hopefully from the Philippines, but it is exciting," he told journalists during a promotional visit to Singapore. Yahoo! Sports Philippines

Miami Heat, Erik Spoelstra 

On Sunday, James dished out an impressive eight assists as Team USA routed France 98-71 in their opening game of the London Olympics; Spoelstra couldn't have been happier to see the role James played in the victory. "No, not worried at all [about James getting injured while on Olympic duty]," Spoelstra told ESPNSTAR.com in Singapore. Spoelstra is currently in the island-state to run a series of coaching clinics and was looking forward to seeing ‘King James' build on his basketball legacy at the summer Olympics. ESPN.com

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Erik Spoelstra, USA Basketball, Olympics