Pat Riley Vows No Retirement, Heat Contention

Miami Heat president Pat Riley, fresh off his 81st birthday, declared on Monday that he has no plans to retire, resign or step aside, vowing to lead the franchise back to contention after it missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

In his annual end-of-season news conference, Riley expressed deep frustration over the team's performance. "I'm really pissed. I'm disappointed. Disgruntled, just like everybody else in the organization that understands what we're about, about winning," he said. The Heat finished 43-39, securing the Eastern Conference's 10th seed before falling to the Charlotte Hornets in the 9-10 play-in tournament game earlier this month. Miami started strong at 14-7 but went 29-32 the rest of the way, ranking second league-wide in scoring at 120.9 points per game while slipping to 22nd in points allowed at 118.5.

Riley, who joined the Heat nearly 31 years ago after owner Micky Arison purchased the franchise in 1995, emphasized his enduring drive. "I want another parade down Biscayne Boulevard. It may come. It may not," he said, echoing the ambition from his introductory news conference aboard a cruise ship called the Imagination. He...