The Miami Heat have found a new way to honor longtime team president Pat Riley.
When they open the season later this month, they’ll do so by playing on the new Pat Riley Court at the Kaseya Center. The team announced this week that it will be officially dedicating the floor at their arena in Riley’s honor.
“This has been one hell of a journey that [owner] Micky [Arison] and I have taken together over the last 30 years,” Riley said in a statement. “The goal from day one was to win, and win big. We did. We won championships, sprayed each other with champagne, had parades, celebrated on this floor, in this arena, in the streets with our great fans and hung the names of our greatest players from the rafters.
“Naming the court after me would have made my parents very proud. It is a great, great honor for myself, [wife] Chris and my family.”
Riley is entering his 30th season running the Heat this fall. After a long run with both the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won four championships, and the New York Knicks, Riley was hired as the Heat’s head coach ahead of the 1995-96 campaign. He compiled a 454-395 record over the next 11 seasons and helped lead the franchise to a championship in 2006 with Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal.
He transitioned into the front office in 2008, where he helped land LeBron James and lead the Heat to another pair of NBA titles and four consecutive NBA Finals appearances. Riley was named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008, too.
The Heat went 46-36 last season and made the playoffs for a fifth straight year under coach Erik Spoelstra, who took over for Riley in 2008. They will officially open the regular season on Oct. 23 against the Orlando Magic.