The Miami Heat are leading the conference, looking to get all the way healthy at the right time, and seemed to be primed for a deep run in the NBA Playoffs. What better place to be right now as an NBA team?
There isn’t one. In accordance, what better way could there be for the Miami Heat’s architect and the NBA’s Godfather, Pat Riley, to spend his 77th birthday?
There also isn’t one. You can be sure the NBA all-timer is wishing away on his special day.
While he’s down there along South Beach wishing though, do you think the Miami Heat are also making him dream—again? Well, to be specific, when he said that Jimmy Butler was “making” his “dreams
Here is the complete quote and situation in question, per The Athletic (subscription required).
The Miami Heat are primed to make a deep playoff run this season. Pat Riley, who turned 77 on March 20th, is sure to be extremely pleased with his team.
"It was Heat president Pat Riley, same as he ever was, lording from on high in what was his first in-person Heat game of this postseason.“Appreciate you!” Butler said as he saluted to the mask-wearing Riley and pointed in his direction.“You’re making my dreams…” Riley, standing at the edge of the banister and pointing right back at Butler, yelled before heading out with Heat general manager Andy Elisburg."
Here was a capture of the scene, per the official Twitter account of the Miami Heat.
This would go on to be an iconic moment in Miami Heat history. It was during the Miami Heat’s domination over the Bucks in the NBA Bubble playoffs.
Though many would question the legitimacy of that Miami Heat run and while the Milwaukee Bucks would return the favor by demolishing Miami in last season’s playoffs, the team from Miami is right back in the mix this year.
That’s the whole point though. With how far they’ve come in this season behind some of their newest additions in guys like Kyle Lowry and P.J. Tucker, along with the continuing development of guys like Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, that makes the stalwart of a tank of a player in Jimmy Butler that much more capable of leading them back to these kinds of moments.
You know—the ones where he makes the NBA Legend, the Miami Heat’s peak engineer, Pat Riley “dreams”. You would hope so and along with a ton of smiles, hopefully, especially on a day like this one that is his birthday.
The Miami Heat can top his weekend off by pulverizing the Sixers on Monday, one of their main barriers between Eastern Conference supremacy and then an NBA Title.