ESPN's Kendrick Perkins Calls for Miami Heat Team President Pat Riley to Move On

Tony Mejia | Mar 19, 2025

Pat Riley, who turns 80, on March 20, is facing criticism with the Miami Heat embarked upon their longest losing streak in 17 years. ESPN's Kendrick Perkins called for him to be judged and move on on Wednesday's 'NBA Today.' / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Heat Nation is unlikely to take any cues from anyone affiliated with the Boston Celtics, but outspoken analyst and former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins called for Pat Riley to move on an ESPN’s “NBA Today” on Wednesday’s show. 

“We have this saying in the South, ‘old people are stuck in their ways. Pat Riley is stuck in his ways. He’s about to turn 80. Tomorrow. He’s about to turn 80. When you look around the league and you look at the teams that are having success, legit title contenders, they got young blood in those seats.”

Apparently, Perkins’ idea of an early birthday present is a shove out the door. Miami Heat lifer Udonis Haslem, also a part of the panel, replied simply, “in Pat we trust.”

Perkins cited the success that the Cavs are having under Kody Altman (42), mentioned OKC’s Sam Presti (47), and said that even Danny Ainge (66) turned the Celtics over to Brad Stevens (48) a few years ago.

“I’m not telling them to walk away from the organization. I’m just telling them to be a consultant. Let somebody else have his seat.” Perkins said, speaking directly to Haslem. “Let somebody that’s going to go out there and be a guy that’s not afraid to change what the Heat culture is. Meaning, the Heat culture, you know this, we’re gonna develop you through the draft, you’re gonna develop through our player development. Now, sometimes you’ve got to ruffle feathers and say, I’m about to go swing big. I’m going to get a big fish. I’m going to do certain things, and I just think Pat Riley, his time has passed, and that’s OK. It’s time for him to hand over the torch.”

Analyst Chiney Ogwumike pointed out that the Heat have taken a swing at Damian Lillard and looked at Kevin Durant at the deadline, stating that she’s not all the way there on “his time has passed, but that it might be time for a “pivot.”

All this came during a segment where Miami’s losing streak was discussed at length as the longest run of failure in head coach Erik Spoelstra’s tenure. Spoelstra’s comments about Miami’s second-half issues relayed following Monday’s loss to New York were prominently featured.

“There’s no one that’s absolved from this. I have not come up with enough answers for this team,” Spoelstra said. “I have to do a better job. Our group has to do a better job. We have to put our feet in the dirt and hold our ground. 

“We have not come up with solutions and we’ve pretty much tried everything. That’s why I said I haven’t been able to come up with solutions. This has been one of the biggest challenges in a regular season that I’ve been a part of.” 

The Heat are minus-130 in the fourth quarter since Feb. 1, an abysmal figure that suggests Spoelstra hasn’t been able to come through with the right formula for holding leads and excelling in clutch situations. Miami has posted 18 losses in games when leading by double-digits, tied for most in the NBA with the Jazz, who have been actively trying to tank. 

“I tell these guys all the time, the easiest thing in the world is be a loser. Anybody can do that. You’ve got to continue to fight,” Haslem said. “You’ve got to continue to push each other, you’ve got to continue to have those uncomfortable eye-to-eye communications with each other. And all of us are being judged. The  guys in the locker room are being judged, the coaches are being judged. Hell, I’m being judged sitting on this panel by what I say because I’m a Heat culture guy. All of us are being judged. What are you going to do? Are you going to stand 10 toes down and thug it out in the paint, or are you going to let go of the rope? The world is watching. Right now, these last couple of games, the world is watching to see if Heat culture is going to pull through or if Heat culture is going to break.”

Miami is 10 games under .500 for the first time since Feb. 4, 2017. Although there is still time to win the Southeast Division, escaping the play-in portion of the postseason no longer seems realistic. 

“I’ve got to believe in those guys in the locker room. I know those guys personally, I know that coaching staff. I know those guys are going to go out and continue to fight,” Haslem said. “I know Bam Adebayo. I know Tyler Herro. I understand those guys so I know what those guys are thinking. This is growing pains for those guys because they’re stepping in a situation where Jimmy Butler is gone now. They want to be the leaders. They want to create a legacy for themselves. They want to be known as winners. This is a tough time for them but winning cures everything. If they continue to push through, turn it around a little bit, then everybody will forget.”

Perkins then put his arm on Haslem’s shoulder and said Riley needs to be judged. It was entertaining television.

In a season where Riley has been in the news positively only when the court at Kaseya Center was named for him earlier this season, his 80th birthday is arriving with his team in shambles. 

His run-ins with Jimmy Butler, a power struggle that looks worse by the minute given Golden State’s success since acquiring him, has resulted in past disagreements that led to the departure of Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James from South Florida being rehashed.

The '24-'25 season is ending miserably for the legend, and now a prominent NBA observer has called for him to end his run as the Heat's top decision maker.

Tony Mejia is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at tnyce1414@gmail.com