As all Miami Heat fans know, the 2021-22 NBA season didn’t end the way anyone within the organization would have liked.
While the Heat advanced all the way to the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals, they ended up losing to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the series. Most teams in the NBA would be pleased with those results, but anything short of a championship is a letdown for the Heat.
That expectation of excellence is due in large part to Heat team president Pat Riley. Riley has helped create the famous Heat culture that strives for excellence. For that reason, some Heat fans may be worried about Riley, 77, possibly calling it quits on his storied NBA career.
Riley addressed questions about his future recently, and he did it in epic fashion.
Pat Riley, 77, says he's not going anywhere: "I'm 77 years old and right now I can do more push-ups than you can right now."
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) June 6, 2022
Before becoming a team executive, Riley earned the reputation of being one of the best coaches in the history of the league. He won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in his first season as the team’s head coach and went on to win three more titles with the Lakers.
He then led the Heat to their first ever title in 2006.
He’s proven to be a similarly successful team executive and was one of the chief architects of the Heat’s Big 3 era.
Now, he’s looking to win another title with Miami. He’s gotten close, with a finals appearance in 2020 and a near miss this year.
For now, it looks like questions about his retirement can be put on hold. Still, if the Heat want to win one more title with Riley leading the ship, they’ll want to do it sooner than later.
