At 77 Can Schenectady’s Pat Riley Do More Push Ups Than You?

He has won five NBA championships as a head coach, with two different franchises. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. And, the Miami Heat president, that starred at the former Linton High School in Schenectady some six decades ago, told the media on Monday that he can still do more push ups at 77 than they can!

According to The Athletic, Hall of Fame NBA basketball coach and executive, Pat Riley told the media on Monday that he is staying on as president of the Miami Heat. Riley divulged the news during his season-ending press conference. "I’m 77 years old, I can do more push-ups than you can. I definitely feel an obligation to finish this build. If we are three years into this build, I think we’re in that window of internal improvement."

Get our free mobile app

Despite an all-world effort by Miami star Jimmy Butler, Riley's Heat lost in the Eastern Conference Finals in seven games to the Boston Celtics. The Heat, led by Riley's successor in Miami, Erik Spoelstra, had been to the NBA finals in four of the last ten years prior to 2022. Miami won back-back-championships in 20213. The Heat fell to San Antonio in 2014 in their bid for a three-peat and then lost to the Los Angelas Lakers in 2020.

Following his 4 NBA Championships with the Lakers, Pat Riley began his tenure with the Heat as head coach and president during the 1995-1996 season. He coached until 2003, stepping away from the court for two years before returning in 2005, eventually winning the 2006 NBA championship. Riley then retired from coaching in 2008, when he hired current Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. It seems like he is in no rush to leave. I wonder how many push ups he does?