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MIAMI: Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was named head coach of the US men’s team through the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics on Tuesday by USA Basketball.

American teams of NBA stars have won the past five Olympic gold medals, giving the US men 17 Olympic titles in all as well as five FIBA World Cup titles.

Spoelstra was selected by US men’s national team director Grant Hill and approved by USA Basketball’s board of directors. The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee must still approve his selection.

“It’s an incredible honor,” Spoelstra said. “Representing our country and leading world-class athletes to marquee competitions is one of the greatest privileges in sport. I look forward to carrying on the tradition of excellence and teamwork that defines USA Basketball.”

Spoelstra, 54, was an assistant coach on last year’s Paris Olympic championship squad and an assistant to Steve Kerr on the US 2023 World Cup squad that finished fourth.

Spoelstra coached a US Select squad in 2021 that trained alongside the US Olympic squad that won gold in Tokyo.

With the Heat, Spoelstra was an assistant coach on the 2006 NBA championship team and as a head coach he guided Miami to the 2012 and 2013 NBA titles.

In addition to the 2028 Olympics on home hardwood, Spoelstra will direct the US men at the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Doha and at training camps and exhibitions ahead of both major global events.

“I’ve known Erik Spoelstra for the better part of two decades and have gotten to know him better throughout our time with USA Basketball,” Hill said.

“Spo is not only an outstanding coach, but a great colleague, friend and father, all of which make him the perfect choice to continue the USA Basketball men’s national team coaching legacy through 2028.”

Next week, Spoelstra will open his 18th season as head coach of the Heat, making him the longest tenured NBA coach with one team.

Spoelstra played and coached in Germany before going to Miami in 1995 as a video coordinator.

“Erik Spoelstra is one of the most widely respected head coaches around the game,” USA Basketball chief executive officer Jim Tooley said.

“As the longest tenured coach with one team, along with his involvement with USA Basketball the past several years, he’s well positioned to lead the USA men’s national team.”

NEW YORK: Global sales of fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles rose 26 percent in September from a year ago to a record 2.1 million units, driven by strong demand in China and a late US tax-credit rush, market research firm Rho Motion said on Wednesday.
China accounted for about two-thirds of global sales with about 1.3 million units, while North America also hit a record as US buyers moved to secure incentives before they expired, said Rho Motion data manager Charles Lester.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
China is the world’s biggest car market and accounts for more than half of global EV sales, which in Rho Motion’s data include battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. September, typically China’s busiest month for car buying, saw sales rise as shoppers looked to make the most of trade-in subsidies before some regions started phasing them out. US demand reflected a surge as buyers rushed to claim the expiring $7,500 EV tax credit, although demand is expected to decline sharply in the fourth quarter “as both consumers and businesses lose access to the federal incentives that have underpinned EV purchases,” Rho Motion said. Europe also hit a new high, helped by incentives in Germany and strong demand in Britain, while Tesla’s rollout of a lower-cost Model Y in Europe is expected to further intensify competition in coming months.

BY THE NUMBERS
Global sales of battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids rose 26 percent to a record 2.1 million units in September, Rho Motion data showed.
Chinese sales rose to about 1.3 million vehicles. European sales jumped 36 percent to 427,541 units, while North American sales climbed 66 percent to about 215,000. Sales in the rest of the world jumped 48 percent to 153,594 vehicles.

KEY QUOTE
“With the federal incentive gone, US demand is expected to drop sharply in the final quarter of the year,” Lester said.
Some automakers such as General Motors and Hyundai are trying to soften the blow by offering discounts or tapping dealer inventories, but overall production is being scaled back, he added. (Reporting by Jesus Calero; Editing by Alexander Smith)