Pat Riley and the Miami Heat’s 2024–25 NBA season concluded in a historic and humiliating fashion, suffering a 138–83 defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of the first-round playoffs on Monday, April 28.
This loss not only marked the end of their postseason but also the most lopsided series sweep in NBA history, with a staggering 122-point differential. In the aftermath, Stephen A. Smith has called for a significant leadership change within the organization, directly pointing out Riley.
Pat Riley’s Tenure Under Scrutiny
During a segment of ESPN’s “First Take” on Tuesday, April 29, Smith expressed profound respect for Riley’s contributions to basketball but emphasized the need for new leadership in Miami.
“Change has to start with Pat Riley. It’s time,” Smith asserted. He acknowledged Riley’s basketball expertise but questioned his ability to attract top talent in today’s player-driven era.
.@stephenasmith says “it’s time” for Pat Riley to move on as the president of the Miami Heat.
“You have to get people to want to come to Miami, and [Riley’s] not that guy anymore.” 😳 pic.twitter.com/AyXWrFsnlc
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 29, 2025
“You have to get people to want to come to Miami, and he’s not that guy anymore,” Smith added. Smith highlighted the Heat’s recent failures to secure high-profile players like Damian Lillard and Kevin Durant as indicators of Riley’s waning influence.
He suggested that head coach Erik Spoelstra assume a new role, stating, “What I’m trying to say is that Erik Spoelstra needs to be the president of basketball operations for the Miami Heat.”
While acknowledging Riley’s legendary status, Smith emphasized the importance of adapting to the evolving dynamics of the NBA. “Miami is not relevant anymore, and to ask Riley to do that, at 80? No. No,” he concluded.
A Season of Turmoil and Transition
The Heat’s 2024–25 season was pretty rough, no way around it. They finished with a 37–45 record, their worst regular season in 10 years. At one point, they even went on a brutal 10-game losing streak.
To make matters worse, Jimmy Butler III left the team midseason as Miami traded him to the Golden State Warriors in February. Even though they managed to sneak into the playoffs through the play-in tournament, they didn’t last long. The Cavaliers completely outplayed them.
Game 4 was a total nightmare for the Heat. The Cavaliers came out swinging, jumping out to a 43–17 lead after the end of the first quarter. By halftime, it was 72–33, and it never got any better. The Heat ended up losing by 55 points — their worst playoff loss ever. After the game, Spoelstra didn’t sugarcoat it. He called the series humbling and admitted the team just didn’t get the job done.
Heading into the offseason, the Heat have some big decisions to make — and fast. They’ve got the 20th pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, which gives them a real shot to start rebuilding and fix some of the problems that dragged them down this year.
The big question is whether Riley is ready to make some major changes, as many people are calling for. One thing’s for sure, though: if the Heat want to get back to being real championship contenders, something has to change.