Heat to Unveil Pat Riley Court at Kaseya Center
Your Miami HEAT announced today that all current and future courts will bear a dedication in honor of former Head Coach and current Team President, Pat Riley. Set to enter his 30th season with the organization, Riley becomes just the second coach in NBA history to receive such an honor, joining Boston’s Red Auerbach.
Riley’s permanent on-court dedication will be unveiled when the HEAT host the Orlando Magic at Kaseya Center on Opening Night—Wednesday, October 23rd at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the game are on sale now and can be purchased online at HEAT.com/PatRileyCourt.
“Thirty years, three championships, countless moments—none of it would have been possible without Pat Riley at the helm of the ship,” said Micky Arison, Managing General Partner of the Miami HEAT. “Pat has accomplished so much for this franchise and this city that it’s only fitting his name is forever etched on the hardwood where every day we will be reminded of his impact on the game and the HEAT.”
“This has been one hell of a journey that Micky and I have taken together over the last 30 years,” said HEAT President Pat Riley. “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, Chris and my family. I can only say thank you from the bottom of my heart to Micky and the Arison family for this honor. And to all the players, coaches, staff and super fans, I say Thank You.”
Universally regarded as one of the greatest coaches and executives in NBA history, Riley joined the HEAT organization prior to the 1995-96 season and instantly established a winning culture of accountability, discipline and sacrifice. Since his arrival in Miami, he has engineered some of the biggest trades in the NBA, deals that have brought All-Stars Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Eddie Jones, Shaquille O’Neal, Shawn Marion, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Goran Dragić, Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry and others to the HEAT. Riley led the HEAT to six consecutive Playoff appearances from 1996 to 2001 and earning Coach of the Year honors in 1997. On December 12th, 2005—following a two-season coaching break—Riley resumed Head Coach duties to lead the HEAT to its first-ever Championship on June 20th, 2006 behind his iconic “15 STRONG” mantra. On April 28th, 2008, Riley shifted to a permanent front office role as Team President—a tenure tipped off in earnest with the 2010 offseason acquisitions of reigning league MVP LeBron James and perennial All-Star Chris Bosh to form the HEAT’s “Big Three” alongside franchise stalwart, Dwyane Wade. From 2010 to 2014, the HEAT made four consecutive NBA Finals appearances—including back-to-back Championships in 2012 and 2013—with Riley named the league’s Executive of the Year for 2010-11. In 2017, Riley made the first in a series of moves that comprise much of the HEAT’s current core, selecting Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro in the 2017 and 2019 NBA Drafts, respectively, then orchestrating a four-team trade to acquire All-Star Jimmy Butler on July 6th, 2019. On February 8th, 2022—one season removed from the HEAT’s sixth Finals appearance—Riley was recognized as one of the 15 Greatest Coaches in NBA History. In total, Riley’s resumé with the HEAT alone stands as one of the finest in NBA history: 5-time Coach of the Month, 1996-97 Coach of the Year, 2010-2011 Executive of the Year, and 3-time NBA Champion. Riley was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on September 5th, 2008—his first season of eligibility.
Riley and his wife Chris are also well-known philanthropists. Together, they founded The Miami HEAT Family Outreach in 1997 which has raised more than $30 million for the South Florida community and whose primary beneficiaries include Jackson Memorial Foundation’s Guardian Angels, which supports the Holtz Center for seriously ill children and SafeSpace, which is a domestic violence shelter for women and their children. They are also involved in the Pediatric AIDS Foundation’s Kids for Kids organization which they started in 1992 in New York, and the YMCA in Los Angeles, New York, and Miami. For more than 30 years, the Rileys have been actively involved with Boys and Girls Clubs of America. As a result of his efforts, Riley has received many prestigious awards, including the Miami Project Sports Legend Award in 1992, Boys and Girls Clubs Miami Person of the Year Award in 1998, and was honored by the YMCA Miami in 1998. Riley was also instrumental in establishing the HEAT’s Home Strong program in 2006, which supports and gives aid to military personnel.