MIAMI – As the Miami Heat enter a critical offseason led by team president Pat Riley, he would take time Friday during his end-of-season press conference to send a message to now former San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. The Spurs would announce that Popovich will step down as head coach after health scares this past season and move to the role of president, with Mitch Johnson taking over coaching duties.
Riley and Popovich are considered by many to be not just basketball legends, but also some of the best head coaches of all time, with both now being presidents of their respective franchises. The Heat president would express how much he adores Popovich and expects him to be “great” in his new role.
“When you talk about Pop, I've reached out to him, I love him dearly,” Riley said. “And I wish him nothing but the best. He'll be a great president. He's loved not only in San Antonio, but throughout the league, by players, and that's very unique…I wish nothing but the best for Pop.”
Popovich (1,412) and Riley (1,210) rank first and fifth, respectively, in regards to total wins in the NBA as head coaches as while the latter ran the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, and the Heat, the former has just been with San Antonio. Each has won five championships with Popovich's last being against Miami in 2014.
Pat Riley on turning the fortunes of the Heat
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With the Heat coming off a depressing finish in the playoffs, there will always be some people who point to the age of Riley and say the game has passed him. On the other hand, Riley is determined to right the ship and turn the fortunes of the franchise around after back-to-back first-round exits in the playoffs.
“[Owner] Mickey [Arison] and Nick [Arison] and I met, they've been very good to me,” Riley said Friday. “They said, ‘Carry on, Pat,' and I'm going to carry on and try to make this thing better. Unlike the narrative out there that has our team pretty bad, if you take a look at what's going on in the playoffs right now, and I don't compare anything apples to oranges or anything like that, with what's happening to other teams, but it's a weird league. You know, you got 20-point leads and you're losing the buzzer.”
Riley has acknowledged that change is inevitable for Miami, as it remains to be seen if that's in the form of an alpha star like Kevin Durant, since he's been connected in rumors, is another question. Still, Riley would say that changes need to happen, whether it's “philosophically” or personnel-wise.
“I mean, it's, it's just things are going on in this league offensively and also defensively, that that you have to take a real good look at and see how your team pairs up with that. And so, an attitude adjustment every now and then is good. And as I talked about earlier, about change, until you change something, then the same thing's going to happen, and so we have to make some changes, philosophically and also maybe even personnel.”
The Heat looks to improve after finishing 10th in the East.
