Miami Heat team president Pat Riley is a consummate competitor, and his greatest adversary at this point may be time.
In the series premier of ESPN’s “The Art Of Conversation With Dan Le Batard,” Riley spoke about his disinterest in retirement and his belief that the Heat will get to the promised land again, though he admits he’s not sure how.
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“I don’t believe in retirement. I believe in what’s next,” Riley said in the interview. “At my age you gotta have something to chase. I’m still chasing another championship with Erik [Spoelstra] and with Micky [Arison] and with the team. How we’re gonna get there I don’t know. But we’re gonna get there again one day. I believe that.”
Right now, another championship in South Florida seems like quite a ways off. Since returning from the All-Star break, the Heat have lost two pivotal games against Eastern Conference opponents.
The Heat lost 106-102 to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday and were blown out by the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night, 119-96.
Going forward, the Heat are in a tough spot in which they are too talented to tank and not talented enough to truly compete for a championship. To make matters worse, a number of player-friendly deals have made it nearly impossible for the Heat to be a major player in the loaded upcoming free agency class.
Still, Riley is not someone to bet against. He has had a direct hand in helping the Heat win their first three championships. Here’s hoping he has a hand in them winning their fourth sometime soon.
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