Pat Riley explains Heat culture, and his response to those who say ‘it’s not for everybody’

Miami Heat president Pat Riley has a message for players around the NBA.

“It’s always said or somebody always talks about that it’s not for everybody,” Riley said when asked about “Heat culture” during his season-ending news conference Friday. “I think this is for everybody. I really do. And if you want to get the most out of your career then we can help you do that. If you don’t really care about getting the most out of your career, then you know you can go anywhere you want.”

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With each win in the Disney bubble during fifth-seeded Miami’s improbable playoff run that ended just two wins from an NBA championship this past season, the buzz around “Heat culture” grew. Often dismissed as another cliche because its an intangible that’s hard to quantify, those within the organization believe the demanding culture is a real advantage.

What exactly sets the Heat apart?

“It’s the hardest-working, best-conditioned, most-professional, unselfish, toughest, nastiest team in the league,” Riley said. “I believe in that. And I believe in it to the core. I don’t think you can get the best out of players or the players can get the best out of themselves, unless they’re in world-class shape. This is their profession. This is their livelihood. They’re gonna take care of their families and their future. And how can you, in this kind of environment in the NBA, not be the best-conditioned athlete on the court? That’s to me just academic.”

Riley said this approach began to develop during his playing career, when he played under head coach Bill Sharman with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1970s.

“I was told by Bill Sharman that if I wanted to make the team in 1971 that I had to be the best-conditioned athlete in training camp,” Riley said. “He said if you’re the best-conditioned athlete in training camp — he said to me, you’re not gonna play either — I just want to make sure I know I’ve got somebody who’s in great shape. I can put out on the court and take a hard foul or guard the other team’s best player. But Pat, you probably won’t play. But if you’re not in the best shape, you’re not going to make the team.”

Riley went on to average 6.7 points in 67 games in the 1971-72 season.

“I learned at that time what I had to do that summer, and I came into camp in the best shape, and I had five good years after that,” Riley recalled. “So I brought that right to my coaching philosophy.”

The results have been undeniable, with the Heat advancing to the playoffs in 19 of the 25 seasons since Riley joined the organization in 1995. Miami has won three NBA championships in six Finals appearances during that 25-year stretch.

“You know the culture is something that is big for us, and it’s just there, it’s embedded,” Riley said. “We don’t have to really sell it. I think it sells itself. I want to thank all the media out there for talking about it all the time. But it’s real. And some people don’t really think that it matters, but to us it counts. I want to thank Mike McCullough, our senior vice president for marketing for putting together culture shirts, especially during the playoffs. And even a couple of years ago, nice soft cotton shirts you can wear with culture across the top. I mean, when I’m taking my 50-mile walks, it’s really about that. It’s an organizational thing and I’m proud of it, and I’m proud that we get identified for it.”

RILEY ON SPOELSTRA

During Friday’s session with reporters, Riley praised Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and said “he’s a coach of the year, he’s a coach of a decade.” Despite his success, Spoelstra has not been named the NBA Coach of the Year in his 12 seasons as Miami’s head coach.

“He will be a Hall of Famer one day,” Riley said. “Spo is not a give-me-the-credit kind of guy. As a matter of fact, I used to always kid about people always saying, ‘Well, why didn’t Pat get coach of the year?’ I always used to say, I get so much credit for not getting credit that that’s enough. I think Spo is the same way. He’s a very humble guy. He’s a workaholic. He’s a great coach, I think he proved it.”

Spoelstra’s work this past season especially impressed Riley.

“I think he proved it this season with a lot of new faces early, incorporating Jimmy [Butler] with Bam [Adebayo] and Duncan [Robinson] and Tyler [Herro] and [Kendrick Nunn] and Meyers [Leonard],” Riley said of Spoelstra. “That starting lineup that he put out there. All of the pieces he had coming off the bench, we were 12 deep. It’s sort of hard to get into a real rhythm with a rotation with players and not having players that are always happy because they aren’t in the rotation.

“But he’s great with the chemistry and keeping guys alive, and at the same time involved. That’s one of the most difficult things that I think a coach can do. We know what he is. I know what he is. I know what his value is. One day, he will, from somebody outside who votes, he will be a coach of the year and he will probably be a coach of the year multiple times. Then when he gets that trophy, he’ll take it and he’ll put it back in his closet and it will collect dust. He’s about winning, that’s it. That’s what makes him happy.”

NO GUARANTEE

When discussing the impending free agency of Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr. and center Meyers Leonard, Riley offered no assurances.

The Heat holds Bird rights for Jones and Leonard, which allows NBA teams to exceed the salary cap to re-sign their own free agents. But Miami is not in position to offer more than a one-year deal as it looks to protect 2021 salary-cap space.

Both Jones and Leonard had their roles diminished in the playoffs after averaging 23.3 minutes and 20.3 minutes, respectively, of playing time in the regular season. Jones averaged 6.5 minutes and Leonard played in just three games in the postseason.

“I love both of those players,” Riley said. “Meyers, I have not probably been around a player like him that is sincere with his enthusiasm for the game and his teammates and life. Plus, he’s a helluva player. He make threes, big body, sets the best picks in the league, started for us all year and things changed in the bubble. ... And the same thing with Derrick. I do believe what changed for Derrick was the addition of Andre [Iguodala] and Jae [Crowder] midseason, and now Spo had 11, 12 guys that could play.

“I feel bad for Derrick, I really do. And I feel bad for Meyers. But they know they’re in a good organization. They went to the Finals and they got an opportunity. They are both free agents. We’re going to talk to them, obviously like everybody else. But it’s not easy. I think Spo did the best job that he could do in trying to manage the rotation ... But I agree that in the playoffs not starting or not playing the kind of minutes that you want, it wasn’t good for them. But it’s what we had to do. It’s what Spo felt he had to do, and I think the players understand that.”