MIAMI -- Pat Riley will resume coaching the Miami Heat following the All-Star break, an official within the NBA said Monday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because Riley has not formally announced his plans. Riley is expected to announce his return at a news conference Wednesday morning in Miami. His first game back would be Feb. 21 at Houston. Riley's decision was first reported on the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Web site. Riley left the team on Jan. 3 because of ongoing hip and knee problems, both which required surgery. He had a procedure to repair cartilage in his right knee on Jan. 5, then hip replacement surgery Jan. 11. Ron Rothstein, whom Riley tabbed as his interim replacement, will coach the Heat against Portland on Tuesday night in their final game before the All-Star break. Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2763451 You respect the guy less and less. Now that the team's playing better and Shaq is back...
Because he couldn't finally be healthy enough to coach again after recovering from knee and hip surgery? I don't like Riley either, but those aren't exactly surgeries you recover from overnight.
Makes sense: Heat pick up steam and start rounding into shape, Riley makes a comeback. That and the knee surgery thing might have something to do with it...but I can't help but question the 'timing' of it all.
he's just a leach. fired stan when the team was playing decent.... steps aside when the team struggles now he wants back in
How is he going to move on the sidelines just having had all that work? Doesn't it take a full year or more to come back from a hip replacement?
I was about to start a thread about this. Shamelss, shameless. I can't believe a HOF coach can do this again and again. This guy belongs to Hall of Shame.
I think the break was preconceived. And a brilliant ploy! The begging of the season was a mess. Injuries mounted. Riley takes a much needed and deserved rest. He uses his comeback, the team health, and the 2nd half of the season as a way to wipe the sleight clean. Start new and fresh. They will be rejuvenated and full of steam onto the playoffs. GENIUS move. And ya. I said DESERVED rest. The guy built the team and then coached them to victory when things looked bleak down to the Mavs! And the whole throwing things into that huge bucket mumbo jumbo... that gimmick was huge! Give the man some respect. How many teams does he have to build, how many rings does he have to win, how many brilliant coaching performances must one man add to his resume before yall show some respect? Do you know what Van Gundy's most impressive credential is on his resume? Not coaching the 8th seed Knicks to the finals (and then losing in 5). Its working under the legendary Pat Riley...
Well said. However, if you don't have the talent to coach, it doesn't matter who your tutor is. There's no question that Riles was a great influence on JVG, however Gundy was a sharp mind himself
This just in from CNN...Pat Riley is the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby! Now that he doensn't have to actually put up with her any more, he can ride that baby gravy train all the way to those millions. He was also the second gunman on the grassy knoll, he's been selling nuclear warheads to Iran, and he's made a deal with the upcoming alien invaders that will allow him to control his own colony of alien/human hybrid slaves.
I'm glad I'm not alone in predicting his comeback once the team starts getting some wins. My theory is that he did this to preserve his high win %.
