Ex-Heat Star Says Pat Riley Put Him Through Workout That Involved Hand-Licking

Shandel Richardson | Aug 27, 2024

Dec 10, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat team president Pat Riley looks on during the first half of a game against the San Antonio Spurs at FTX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

There are plenty legendary workout stories involving Miami Heat team president Pat Riley.

This one, however, is perhaps the strangest.

Former Heat center Hassan Whiteside recently told his during a recent appearance on the OGs podcast with Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller. It was when the Heat were considering signing Whiteside, a journeyman at the time, in 2014.

"The hardest workout of my life," Whiteside said. "He had on a suit, hair slicked back, collared shirt. I'm really at the point I'm going to black out."

And here is where it got weird.

"It was not skilled," Whiteside said. "It was just full-court dunks. He was like, `Lick your hands and touch highest as you can on the backboard. I'm getting all kinds of germs from this backboard."'

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Miller and Haslem, both former Heat players, explained what Riley was doing.

"One thing about coach Riley, man, he just wanted to see if he could break you," Miller said.

Added Haslem, "He knew the talent was there," Haslem said. "He just wanted to see you mentally."

Whiteside passed the test. The Heat signed him that season. He later became one of their first G League turned rotation player sensations. At one point, Whiteside played like he belonged atop the league's centers. He earned All-Defensive team in 2016 after leading the NBA in blocks.

The success was short-lived. Whiteside never reached that level again after he was traded to Portland in the summer of 2019.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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