Don t retire at the age of 80! Riley holds a press conference! Refusing to apologize to Butler

On May 11, Heat President Pat Riley held a press conference on the team's season summary. Riley was born on March 20, 1945 and is already 80 years old. Many media and fans are curious whether Riley will retire this summer? Riley replied: "No retirement! Mickey Allison (Heat boss) asked me to continue working."

Talking about the reasons for refusing to retire, Riley said: "Now the age of 80 is equivalent to the age of 60 in the past. I am very competitive and I like to be in the competition. To be honest, I was a little depressed after the last two playoffs. But the boss met with me, and they were very nice to me, and I will continue to work hard to make the Heat better."

Talking about Butler and the Heat farce, Riley was honest and had a wrong judgment (who once shut up Butler), but he would not apologize to Butler. "I used to say to the players, 'Shut your mouth,' and then see you in training camp. But now the situation of NBA players is very different from before." Speaking of the Heat's refusal to renew Butler, Riley said, "I always remember in the park, he tried his best to compete for the championship and was exhausted on the technical table, and there was that photo in my office. But the past year and a half, the situation has become different. He missed the playoffs last year, and then the performance this season (So ​​no renewal). "

Riley responded: "There is no doubt that Butler's departure has had a huge impact on the Heat. If you have to find someone to take responsibility, it should be me! But I will not apologize for refusing to renew him. I have no obligation to apologize, and I don't think I should apologize. Now that everything is over, I wish Butler all the best."

The Heat were swept 0-4 by the Cavaliers, and G4 lost 55 points. In these 4 games, the Heat lost a total of 122 points, creating the largest score difference in the NBA single-round series. The Heat lost 92 points in their own two home courts. Riley said at the press conference: "Those two losses are humiliating, and we must strengthen it!" Will the Heat be completely rebuilt? Riley responded: "In the current market environment, it is difficult to formulate a reconstruction plan because emergencies may occur at any time. I do not intend to fall into a long reconstruction period, and the management (others) do not have such plans. Herro is crucial to the Heat, and we are already discussing the issue of renewal." Starting from October 2, 2025, Herro is eligible to sign a three-year, US$149.7 million early renewal contract with the Heat. If the two sides do not agree, by the 2026 offseason, Herro is eligible for a four-year, US$206.9 million contract renewal. Judging from Riley's current attitude, the Heat are going to build a team around Herro and Adebayo.

This year's playoffs, Hearo averaged 36 minutes per game, scoring 17.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.3 turnovers, with three shooting percentages: 41.5%, 31%, 80%. In the first round of G4, when the Heat faced elimination, Herro made 1 of 10 shots and scored only 4 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist. Cavaliers defender Garland said directly to the media: "My game plan is to name Hero!"

Finally, we welcome the discussion: How do you think the Heat should strengthen during the offseason?