Pat Riley Sends Strong Message About His Future in the NBA

Heat president Pat Riley has been involved with the NBA for over 50 years, and when the topic of retirement was raised Monday, he made it clear he’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

“I’m 77 years old and right now I can do more push-ups than you can right now,” Riley said, according to the Associated Press’s Tim Reynolds. 

Miami’s season just ended in heartbreak after losing Game 7 to the Celtics at home with a chance at an NBA Finals appearance on the line. This would have been the organization’s seventh trip to the Finals ever since Riley first joined Miami as a coach back in 1995.

Riley, 77, started his playing career as a guard for the San Diego rockets in 1967 and played for both the Lakers and Suns before retiring in 1976. He began his coaching career in 1979 as an assistant with the Lakers and eventually took over as head coach in 1981. He coached the Knicks and then the Heat before he retired from the sidelines in 2008. 

His career accolades speak for themselves, but the nine-time champion isn’t done chasing his 10th NBA title.