The Miami Heat are one of the winningest franchises in the NBA.
They have been perennial playoff contenders for almost every season since 2000. Under coaches Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra, the Heat have won three championships with multiple Eastern Conference titles.
Following Gregg Popovich’s retirement from coaching the San Antonio Spurs, Bleacher Report ranked the top five greatest NBA head coaches of all time. Heat president Pat Riley was ranked at No. 4.
“In L.A., he had superteams led by Magic Johnson, perhaps the best playmaker in NBA history, and he had to manage the sometimes outsized personality of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,” the article wrote. “In New York, he had the big, bruising Patrick Ewing-led Knicks that often beat their opponents into submission. And with the Miami Heat, he had a superstar wing on the rise (Dwyane Wade) and a post-prime center (Shaquille O’Neal) who had to cede the alpha status he’d held for years.”
Riley will be remembered mostly for his coaching tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers, but his tenure in Miami should also be recognized. While coaching the Heat, Riley won a championship in 2006. His record with the Heat was 454-395 over an 11-season stretch.
After he retired from coaching in 2008, Riley transitioned to the front office as team president. He landed LeBron James in 2010, followed by four consecutive Finals appearances in the “Big Three” era with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. Upon retirement, he will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the great coaches and executives in NBA history.
