Michael Beasley experienced a lot of strife during his years in the NBA and faced off against plenty of tough defenders.
But according to him, the toughest wasn’t a player on the court.
A video shared by Hater Report on X featured Beasley listing the hardest defenders he battled in the league.
While first giving a nod to Rick Adelman, Beasley then listed another head coach: Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat.
“Rick Adelman. Erik Spoelstra. Whoever head coach at the time. [Erik Spoelstra] never put me in the game,” Beasley said.
Michael Beasley says Erik Spoelstra is toughest defender he ever faced:
“Yeah, he never put me in the game”
???
— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) July 22, 2025
Spoelstra is viewed as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time, but he hasn’t made all of the stars who played for him happy.
He has certainly ruffled some feathers and upset people with the amount of playing time he’s given.
Beasley was just getting his start in the NBA at the same time that Spoelstra was promoted to head coach of the Heat.
During his first season in 2008-09, Beasley averaged 13.9 points and 5.4 rebounds while playing for 24.8 minutes per his 81 games.
That wasn’t a bad start for him, but then he moved around the league.
When he came back to the Heat several years later, Beasley’s minutes diminished.
He ended his time with the Heat with an average of 12.3 points and 5.0 rebounds.
Beasley might not be happy with how Spoelstra treated him, but Spoelstra was not there to make friends.
Instead, he was tasked with getting the most out of the team and helping them win, no matter who he upset.
The Heat were one of the most successful teams of that era, so he obviously knew what he was doing.
NEXT: Heat Have Reportedly Made A Decision About Andrew Wiggins
