Pat Riley Has Made Unbelievable NBA Finals History

The Miami Heat have one of the best coaches in the game in Erik Spoelstra, and they also have a bonafide leader and two-way star in Jimmy Butler.

However, as much credit as they deserve for making it to the NBA Finals, the guy working in the shadows shouldn’t be overlooked by any means.

With the Heat advancing to the biggest stage, Pat Riley has now officially made it to 25% of all NBA Finals: Three as a player, ten as a coach, and now six as an executive.

With the Heat advancing, Pat Riley has now been part of 25% of the NBA Finals in league history.

The Godfather 👏 pic.twitter.com/c7oCrBd1sp

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 30, 2023

Riley has been the biggest reason why the Heat have been able to become a signature name in the Eastern Conference despite being a relatively young franchise.

He drafted Dwyane Wade and paired him with Shaquille O’Neal.

He then got both LeBron James and Chris Bosh and later got them Butler.

Riley is strongly considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the game, winning five NBA championships and three NBA Coach of the Year awards.

His job as an NBA executive isn’t any less remarkable, winning a couple of rings and being named NBA Executive of the Year.

He also stood his ground when LeBron reportedly wanted Spoelstra out, choosing him over the four-time NBA MVP.

Simply put, you cannot write NBA history without mentioning Pat Riley’s name multiple times, and he’s still going strong and has plenty of years to keep leading the way.

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