Spoelstra: Heat front office like a scene from Jerry Maguire after LeBron's announcement

LeBron James' decision to leave Miami for Cleveland last Friday caught the Heat organization by surprise, and prompted coach Erik Spoelstra to speak on the topic for the first time Tuesday.

Spoelstra, who was at the helm during James' four seasons with the Heat, called the star's tenure "historic," and harbored no ill feelings toward the departed king.

Via Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

This league does teach you that it's inevitable that there's constant change and you always have to continue to embrace change, adapt with change. This is a big, monumental change that we didn't necessarily anticipate but you have to respect it because when you're a free agent in this league you have the right to make a decision that's best for you and your family. When he made that decision that was best for his family, where his heart is, all you can do from our side is respond with respect and love.

The coach described the time after James' Cleveland announcement as a scene from the movie Jerry Maguire, with team president Pat Riley and general manager Andy Elisburg each making countless phone calls to agents and players.

"Probably, we were all in Pat's office about five minutes just to collect ourselves and then from there it was madness," Spoelstra said. "The board was right there. So we said we better get to work and we didn't leave until after 1 in the morning."

Spoelstra said there were two to three hours of panic and uneasiness until the first call came back - from Chris Bosh, who opted to stay in Miami despite reports he was exploring other options should James depart.

Though the coach hasn't spoken with James, he notes there will be a right time to do so.

"Again, you forge bonds through competitions and through great experiences like we've had," Spoelstra said. "There will be a time for that. My message wouldn't be any different whenever that time comes."