Pat Riley Responds to 'Washed' Accusation: 'Maybe I Am'

Pat Riley addressed speculation regarding whether he can still cut it as president of the Miami Heat, or if he is just "washed."

Riley told Dan Le Batard on Thursday's episode of the LeBatardShow that he's unaware of the discussion on social media, but does not care either way. The 79-year-old joked about losing to the Boston Celtics, who went on to win the title, in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs, mentioning how he "had my ass kicked by the Celtics enough when I was coaching."

While Riley considers this season to be "important" for the Heat, he also acknowledges that there are other teams in the Eastern Conference who have their sights set on a championship, such as the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers.

"I don't worry about what critics say. Maybe I am," Riley said of the idea of him being washed. "Maybe I should go somewhere and just put my feet up, but I would then become very compulsive-obsessive about doing something else."

Riley is currently dealing with disgruntled superstar Jimmy Butler, who appears to be looking for a way out of Miami prior to the NBA trade deadline. After the Heat president declared Butler was not available via trade, the 35-year-old spoke at a press conference about "getting my joy back playing basketball" and admitted that may not be possible as a member of the Heat.

Shortly thereafter, Butler was suspended seven games by the organization for multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team over the course of the season.

Cracks in the relationship between Butler and Riley started to show over the offseason when the Heat president advised his star player to "keep your mouth shut," instead of talking trash about other teams that got further in the playoffs than the Heat.

Butler, whose known to be a jokester, seemingly responded to Riley's challenge by showing up all-business to Miami's 2024 media day. With a contract extension hanging in the balance, Jimmy appeared dedicated to showing the best version of himself to the Heat. When it became clear that Riley remained noncommittal about negotiating a new deal, Butler was ready to send a message that he wanted out of Miami.

The conversation about possibly being washed starts at the 2:07:26 mark in the video linked above.