Who Is Erik Spoelstra’s Wife, Nikki Sapp? 10 Facts

Erik Spoelstra’s wife, Nikki Sapp is a former cheerleader for the Miami Heat. However, she is most famous for her marriage to the great NBA coach. The pair have been married for almost a decade and share three children – Santiago Ray Erik, Dante Erik, and Ruby Erik.

Over the years, Nikki has earned a name for herself and not living in the shadows of her husband. After her time at the Miami Heat, she moved on to achieve other strides for herself while impacting lives and lending her voice to several causes through her podcasts.

Meet Erik Spoelstra’s Wife

Erik Spoelstra’s wife, Nikki Sapp was born on March 22, 1987 and she’s 37 years old at the moment. From what we garnered, she’s a Filipino-American who grew up in Kendall, Florida amidst art lovers and she learned how to paint from her aunt and grandmother.

Regarding her education, Nikki made it known that she went through the public school system before proceeding to Florida International University where she majored in Art History which had been a passion since childhood.

While at the university, she doubled as a Miami Heat dancer and a dance instructor at a studio teaching 12 classes every week and working at a huge boutique in order to see herself through school and complete college.

Here are 10 Amazing Facts About Nikki Sapp You Should Know

1. She Had a Strained Relationship With Her Mother

Nikki made it known that her life wasn’t always beautiful as one would imagine. According to her, she had a lot of trauma while growing up and a complicated childhood that strained her relationship with her mother.

Although she didn’t go into details about what exactly happened, Nikki explained that she had a weird idea about motherhood and even experienced postpartum anxiety after the birth of her sons. As a result, she started drinking which left her feeling worthless.

Nonetheless, she sought help and has long overcome her fears. At present, she uses her story to encourage others via podcasts.

2. The Former Cheerleader First Met Her Husband While Dancing at Maimi Heat

Nikki met her husband Erik in her last year dancing for the Miami Heat but her relationship with Erik Spoelstra began while she worked as a director for ‘Guy Hepner art gallery’ a popular art gallery located in Los Angeles.

Nikki Sapp and her boyfriend turned fiancé now husband love to keep their personal life private therefore it was a beautiful surprise when their engagement was announced in 2015. This engagement came after many years of knowing each other and dating. which according to research can be dated back to 2013.

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3. Nikki’s Husband is 17 Years Older Than Her

Nikki and Erik are yet again another power couple who have proved that age is just a number when Cupid strikes. The 37 year-old podcaster got married to Erik Spoelstra on 22nd July 2016.

Erik is a professional basketball coach who was born on November 1, 1973, in Evanston, Illinois, USA. He is currently 54 years old which means he is 17 years older than Nikki.

4. She is Expecting her Third Child who Shares a Lot of Special Coincidence With her Mother

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A post shared by Nikki Spoelstra (@nikkisappspo)

Nikki is a proud mother of three. She had her first child Santiago Ray Erik several weeks before his due date. He was born on the 25^th of March 2018. However, the very private couple did not reveal anything about him, not even his name until three days after his birth. In 2019, the pair welcomed their second son Dante Erik.

Nikki informed her fans via her Instagram that she is expecting her third baby. On the 14th of June 2022, she revealed that she was having a girl child. In one of her episodes on The Know With Nikki Spo, she explained that her then-unborn child shares a lot of special coincident with her mother.

According to her, she learned about her pregnancy in Febuary just a week before her mother passed on and it was overwhelming to discover that her child’s birthday would just be days apart from her mother’s. Nikki’s third child, Ruby Grace Erik was born on September 27, 2022.

5. Nikki Sapp Had a Career in Dancing and also Taught Dance

As stated, the Kendall-born was passionate about dancing from an early age even though she explored painting and other arts. She went into dancing while at the Florida International University and danced for the Miami Heat for three years from 2015 to 2008.

She also worked as a 7th-grade Art teacher because she wanted to share her love and passion for art (encompassing literature, art history, and dance) with children and was named the teacher of the year for the 2015/2016 school year. Apart from that, she also taught dance at the ‘Just Dance It’ group and other dance studios in South Florida.

6. Erik Spoelstra’s Wife Earned a Scholarship Following Her Creativity in Art 

Moving to Los Angeles after college, Nikki got a job as an associate in an art gallery, and ever since, she has worked as Creative Director and Contemporary Fine Art Specialist for Art Angels Gallery.

Nikki earned a full scholarship for her course in fashion design at the Miami International University of Art and Design. This scholarship was earned due to the fact that the quality of her work gained her a lot of responses and admiration.

In 2005, she announced her fashion show. Nikki has always been a lover of Arts and Fashion and so this stride was a very pleasing and welcomed one and it just shows that she is all about doing things for herself.

7. She is a Renowned Philanthropist and Strong Activist

Nikki Sapp is undoubtedly a woman of many talents. She isn’t only known for her charity work but also for activism. She went on to prove this on her wedding day when she made a request that all intended wedding gifts should be given to charity instead.

Also, she was a former educator at Sports Leadership and Management Academy in Little Havana where she volunteered to do charity work.

As an activist, She speaks against injustice from her space via social media. Her activism is mostly directed at the Black Lives Matter cause. She is a strong ally of the campaign and ceases every chance to speak up.

8. Erik Spoelstra’s Wife is Still a Cheerleader

Nikki Sapp has retired from professional cheerleading however, she is still her husband’s personal cheerleader. She is one of the major reasons her husband has been great at his coaching job with the NBA’s Miami Heat.

Not even the 17 years of age difference between the husband and wife deters her from being her husband’s support system.

She goes to watch and support him during game nights and although they try to lead private lives, she doesn’t fail to flaunt him and their family on her Instagram whenever the need arises which is most often.

9. How Rich is Nikki Sapp?

Nikki is one of the richest dancers and is often referred to as a ‘celebrity dancer’, therefore, her net worth is estimated to be about $1.5 million. This wealth could be attributed to a couple of her works either as a dancer or art director or even fashion designer.

Notably, her husband Erik Spoelstra is worth $14 million. As you would easily find he makes his money as a professional coach.

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10. What is Erik Spoelstra’s Wife Up To?

Nikki found a new love in podcasting and creating new content even though she has juggled several careers over the years and explored arts in many ways. She started her podcast ‘The Know With Nikki Spo’sometime in 2021 and uses the medium to empower women with low-self esteem to pursue their dreams and keep their focus.

Nikki also shares stories of resilient women who have been through a lot of mishaps but still keep their heads up high as an example to emulate.

Complete Profile of Nikki Sapp