Pat Riley’s 30th season with the Miami Heat will begin with a special honor.
The Heat announced Monday ahead of its “Red, White & Pink” intrasquad scrimmage that all current and future courts in its home arena will be dedicated to Riley. The Heat’s home court will now be known as “Pat Riley Court at Kaseya Center,” with this new name and Riley’s signature inscribed onto the court.
Riley will become just the second coach in NBA history to receive such an honor, joining Red Auerbach of the Boston Celtics.
Riley’s permanent on-court dedication will be unveiled when the Heat opens the regular season against the Orlando Magic at Kaseya Center on Oct. 23.
“Thirty years, three championships, countless moments—none of it would have been possible without Pat Riley at the helm of the ship,” Heat managing general partner Micky Arison said in a statement issued by the team. “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.”
Riley, who turns 80 in March, has become one of the most successful figures in South Florida sports during his iconic tenure with the Heat after first joining the organization prior to the 1995-96 season.
Riley spent 11 seasons as the Heat’s head coach and has served as the team president since he arrived.
Since Riley arrived in 1995, the Heat has compiled a 1,316-995 (.569) record for the best record in the Eastern Conference during that 29-year span and the second-best in the NBA. During that time, the Heat has also made 23 postseason appearances and captured 16 division titles (the most in the NBA during that span) while making seven trips to the NBA Finals and winning its only three NBA championships.
Riley was the head coach and team president for the Heat’s first NBA championship in 2006 before relinquishing those duties to current Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra in 2008. Riley was solely the team president for its last two titles in 2012 and 2013.
When including Riley’s time with the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks, Riley ranks fifth on the NBA’s all-time wins list for head coaches. He was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and was recognized as one of the 15 greatest coaches in NBA history in 2022.
“This has been one hell of a journey that Micky and I have taken together over the last 30 years,” Riley said in a statement issued by the Heat. “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.”
A video filmed by the Heat captures the moment that Arison told Riley that the team’s home court will be dedicated to him.
“Are you kidding me? Wow,” Riley said in the video.
“Enjoy it. It’s going to be there forever,” Arison said.
“That wasn’t the goal, but I appreciate it,” Riley replied.
As the Heat’s president, Riley is still one of the faces and most important people in the organization as he enters his 30th season with the team. Now, his name will forever be on the Heat’s court.
