Riley will coach the Heat in 06-07
Thu Aug 24, 2006 4:12 am
MIAMI -- Pat Riley will be coaching the Miami Heat when their NBA championship banner is raised.
Riley said Wednesday he'll return as coach for the 2006-07 season, ending speculation he might retire at age 61. He led the Heat to their first league title -- and his seventh as a coach or player -- in June.
"After winning the championship, I realized there's always something meaningful that happens in your life that becomes the primary point of your destiny," Riley said in a statement. "Winning the championship showed me that I am definitely in the right place, at the right time, with the right people. I can't wait to get started."
Riley is second to Lenny Wilkens with 1,322 coaching victories, including 171 in the postseason. Riley, who is also Heat president, returned to the sideline last Dec. 12 when Stan Van Gundy resigned as coach for personal reasons.
The Heat said Riley was unavailable to the media. He last talked to reporters June 23, the day of the team's championship parade.
As recently as Monday, center Shaquille O'Neal expressed concern about Riley's status.
"Yeah, it's an issue," O'Neal told NBA.com at a charity golf event in the New York area sponsored by teammate Alonzo Mourning.
Under Riley, the Heat went 41-20 this past regular season, then beat Chicago, New Jersey, Detroit and Dallas in the playoffs.
"Coach made this championship happen. He built it and made us all believe," Heat forward James Posey said this summer. "You could tell how much he wanted this one."
It was Riley's fifth NBA title as a head coach -- he won two as a player -- but his first since taking the "Showtime"-era Los Angeles Lakers to the 1988 title.
"I'd give up six championships," a champagne-soaked Riley said in the din of the victory celebration in Dallas, "to get this one."
The title provided vindication for Riley, widely questioned after shaking up the roster a year ago and then returning when Van Gundy resigned.
Riley found the season draining physically and emotionally. He postponed hip-replacement surgery to resume coaching and limped at times in the ensuing months. Early in the playoffs, his 96-year-old mother, Mary, died near his hometown of Schenectady, N.Y.
Almost from the moment Riley returned as coach, there was a question of whether he'd keep the job in 2006-07. He signed an extension announced Jan. 1, but the team never clarified whether it was related to his role as president, coach or a combination of the two.
Soon after the extension was announced, Riley said he "probably would not" be back as coach, only to issue a terse statement in mid-April vowing to return, quashing a rumor that he had already chosen Jim O'Brien as his successor.
When the title was won, Riley changed the answer again, saying only that he couldn't decide whether to continue.
"Don't ask me that," Riley said. "Please. ... I can't answer that right now."
Riley stepped down as Heat coach shortly before the 2003-04 season and was replaced by Van Gundy, who remains under contract with the organization.
Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press
This will be the greatest news for the Heat fans this season since their maestro will be returning after some speculation that he may retire at the age of 61.
The fact that Mourning will return this season is a big lift to team's quest for the repeat.Only guard Gary Payton has yet to re-sign which means the other 7 player that Riley used to rotate are still on the Heat roster.
Riley said Wednesday he'll return as coach for the 2006-07 season, ending speculation he might retire at age 61. He led the Heat to their first league title -- and his seventh as a coach or player -- in June.
"After winning the championship, I realized there's always something meaningful that happens in your life that becomes the primary point of your destiny," Riley said in a statement. "Winning the championship showed me that I am definitely in the right place, at the right time, with the right people. I can't wait to get started."
Riley is second to Lenny Wilkens with 1,322 coaching victories, including 171 in the postseason. Riley, who is also Heat president, returned to the sideline last Dec. 12 when Stan Van Gundy resigned as coach for personal reasons.
The Heat said Riley was unavailable to the media. He last talked to reporters June 23, the day of the team's championship parade.
As recently as Monday, center Shaquille O'Neal expressed concern about Riley's status.
"Yeah, it's an issue," O'Neal told NBA.com at a charity golf event in the New York area sponsored by teammate Alonzo Mourning.
Under Riley, the Heat went 41-20 this past regular season, then beat Chicago, New Jersey, Detroit and Dallas in the playoffs.
"Coach made this championship happen. He built it and made us all believe," Heat forward James Posey said this summer. "You could tell how much he wanted this one."
It was Riley's fifth NBA title as a head coach -- he won two as a player -- but his first since taking the "Showtime"-era Los Angeles Lakers to the 1988 title.
"I'd give up six championships," a champagne-soaked Riley said in the din of the victory celebration in Dallas, "to get this one."
The title provided vindication for Riley, widely questioned after shaking up the roster a year ago and then returning when Van Gundy resigned.
Riley found the season draining physically and emotionally. He postponed hip-replacement surgery to resume coaching and limped at times in the ensuing months. Early in the playoffs, his 96-year-old mother, Mary, died near his hometown of Schenectady, N.Y.
Almost from the moment Riley returned as coach, there was a question of whether he'd keep the job in 2006-07. He signed an extension announced Jan. 1, but the team never clarified whether it was related to his role as president, coach or a combination of the two.
Soon after the extension was announced, Riley said he "probably would not" be back as coach, only to issue a terse statement in mid-April vowing to return, quashing a rumor that he had already chosen Jim O'Brien as his successor.
When the title was won, Riley changed the answer again, saying only that he couldn't decide whether to continue.
"Don't ask me that," Riley said. "Please. ... I can't answer that right now."
Riley stepped down as Heat coach shortly before the 2003-04 season and was replaced by Van Gundy, who remains under contract with the organization.
Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press
This will be the greatest news for the Heat fans this season since their maestro will be returning after some speculation that he may retire at the age of 61.
The fact that Mourning will return this season is a big lift to team's quest for the repeat.Only guard Gary Payton has yet to re-sign which means the other 7 player that Riley used to rotate are still on the Heat roster.
Thu Aug 24, 2006 4:24 am
Obviously!! But I thought we wanted to retire at the top!! I don't think they are winnin it this year. . .but you never know
Thu Aug 24, 2006 4:31 am
If the refs haven't changed their standards, then yes, they probably will win it all.
Thu Aug 24, 2006 4:51 am
are you saying the refs cheated last finals?I mean common it was a great series and everybody from the Dallas knew it wasnt for them.
Thu Aug 24, 2006 5:25 am
^^ Obviously Miami had WAAAY more calls than Dallas. Wade was getting whatever he wanted, which made him look over-rated
Thu Aug 24, 2006 5:36 am
Even though every player is still there, they are gradually being worn down by aging and a repeat isn't guaranteed.
Thu Aug 24, 2006 5:57 am
Couldnt care less whether Riley came back or not. I believe he gets too much credit for that championship after he unnecessarily axed Van Guny (I dont care what they claim happened). He's another eason I dont like Miami as much as I used to.
Thu Aug 24, 2006 6:15 am
dadamafia wrote: I believe he gets too much credit for that championship
You can't argue with results... and he's proven he can win championships. That's a lot more than most coaches can claim
Last edited by Axel on Fri Aug 25, 2006 7:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
Thu Aug 24, 2006 6:23 am
i dont care about miami. there are alot more contenders i would say this year then there are last year. miami has a good team but they have an old team.
wade isnt superman/jordan, he cant just help them to a championship that easily. besides, last year was a flukey year for them. i know they are a good team,
but mavs should have won
wade isnt superman/jordan, he cant just help them to a championship that easily. besides, last year was a flukey year for them. i know they are a good team,
but mavs should have won
Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:02 am
Zandro Marcelionis wrote:are you saying the refs cheated last finals?I mean common it was a great series and everybody from the Dallas knew it wasnt for them.
It might be just a remark on how the NBA calls games these days...any touch on a guy facing the basket is an auto-foul. It's very different from the overpower-your-defender style of ball in the 80s.
Game 7 Wade has 21 free throws, all 10 Dallas players had a combined 23. It's more that Wade takes advantage of the new NBA style than Dallas does.
As a comparison, in the 1998 season, one of Jordan's dominant Dynasty championship years where they went 62 - 20, Michael Jordan (bitterly called "His Airness" by his defenders because he gets so many foul calls) got 721 free throw shots. Dwayne Wade, a terrific player but not MJ at the height of his power, got 803. Even in his sophomore season, Wade got 762, 20 more free throw calls than Jordan did in his prime. And add to that, in 98 Jordan played all 82 games, but last season Wade played only 75. Add 7 more games and he would have completely blown by Jordan's free throw count even more so.