FILE – Miami Heat president Pat Riley points to the Larry O’Brien NBA Trophy after winning Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships June 21, 2013 in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)
MIAMI – It’s rare that Pat Riley doesn’t make the final decision when it comes to Miami Heat matters. After all, he is the president. The person in charge. Almost every big decision needs his approval.
Except this one.
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To celebrate the start of his 30th season with the franchise, the Heat will introduce Pat Riley Court on Wednesday night when the team takes on the Orlando Magic. Riley didn’t want his name on the field yet because he’s still working. But the two people who outranked him in the organization – managing partner Micky Arison and CEO Nick Arison – decided otherwise. That’s why it was important to them to make sure Riley’s 30th season started with a bang.
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It’s the start of a week of honors for the Heat, who will unveil a statue on Sunday celebrating the career of Basketball Hall of Famer and three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade.
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“Thirty years, three championships, countless moments – none of it would have been possible without Pat Riley at the helm of the ship,” said Micky Arison. “Pat has accomplished so much for this franchise and this city that it is only fitting that his name is forever engraved on the hardwood where we are reminded every day of his impact on the game and the Heat.”
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra (left) chats with team president Pat Riley as they watch players practice for Game 2 of the NBA Finals on June 3, 2023 in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
The wording there – “rudder of the ship” – is appropriate. Micky Arison is chairman of Carnival Corporation and aboard a Carnival ship named Imagination, Arison introduced Riley as the team’s president and head coach on September 2, 1995. Riley received a 10-year contract. He never left. And even though he turns 80 in March, there are no retirement plans.
In the first 29 seasons under Riley, the Heat have the second-best regular season record in the NBA behind San Antonio – another team that has had uninterrupted stability at the top of its organization, with Gregg Popovich and RC Buford for about a year at the same time, that Riley spent in Miami.
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“It’s happening quickly. And I didn’t realize how fast it was going, and it seems like it’s getting faster every day,” Riley said. “But it was a blessing for me. It’s incredible that I was able to stay here for so long, that anyone in this league could stay anywhere for so long. And I sincerely thank Mickey for skipping the moments where he probably wanted to send me out of town. There were those days, but we both stayed together. And I think that’s the most important thing.”
It’s not just Riley and Arison who stayed together. Since Riley arrived in Miami, the Heat ship has been as steady as can be. There are a handful of team managers and coaches entering their 30th season – or longer – with the Heat this year. Among them: Coach Erik Spoelstra, who is entering his 30th year with the franchise.
He started in the video room (he was hired shortly before Riley’s arrival), eventually became an assistant coach and became Riley’s hand-picked successor as head coach in 2008. This is Spoelstra’s 17th season in the role, the second-longest current tenure in the league behind Popovich.
“Pat saw something in me that I didn’t see,” Spoelstra said. “I didn’t know if I was really ready or if I was prepared for it. And he kind of pushed me uncomfortably. I will always be grateful for that, for the opportunity to work for this franchise. I don’t take this continuity for granted.”
Riley is a nine-time NBA champion; Six of those rings came with the Los Angeles Lakers – four as a head coach, one as an assistant and one as a player. The last three came with the Heat in 2006, 2012 and 2013. His 1,210 regular-season wins as a coach still rank fifth in NBA history; his 171 playoff wins rank second.
The Heat Court won’t be the first to bear Riley’s name as a permanent tribute. In Schenectady, New York, the town near Albany where he grew up and was a high school star before playing college basketball at Kentucky, the school’s sports complex has been called the Pat Riley Sports Center since 1997.
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“When Pat came here in 1995, he wanted to create a culture that was respected not just in this league, but in all leagues – in the professional leagues and around the world,” Spoelstra said. “It’s a big responsibility. This is close to my heart and that’s why I’m very motivated every year to get a team fighting for the top prize.”