After the Cleveland Cavaliers embarrassingly eliminated the Miami Heat, Stephen A. Smith suggested that the organization should move on from Pat Riley.
Miami Heat’s Historic Loss
that post sweep feeling. #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/tdGCcA5P67
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) April 29, 2025
The Cavs did not just beat the Heat; they destroyed them.
The Cavs completed the four-game sweep of the Heat with a 138-83 Game 4 victory.
The Cavs’ 55-point victory is the largest margin of victory in franchise history, beating their 44-point win over the Boston Celtics in 2017.
The Cavs won by 20+ in three of the four games. Cleveland only won Game 2 by nine points.
Overall, the Cavs beat the Heat by 122 points, the largest margin of victory in a four-game sweep in NBA playoff history.
Stephen A. Smith Calls Out Pat Riley
.@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
When reacting to the loss on Tuesday’s First Take, Smith mostly blamed Riley, the Heat’s president.
Smith took it one step further by saying the Heat need to move on from the nine-time NBA champion.
“Change has to start. Pat Riley, it’s time. It’s time,” Smith said on First Take. “You have never heard anyone say that about the great Pat Riley, who I revere. I know this man. I got a lot of love for this man. I appreciate what he’s done for the game of basketball. I don’t have any doubt that he knows what he’s doing when it comes to basketball, in terms of what the team needs, the coach it has, etc. The reason I’m bringing up that there has to be a change in Miami is because you have to get people to want to come to Miami. And he’s not that guy anymore. Not that guy.”
Smith suggested that head coach Erik Spoelstra should become the president of basketball operations for the Miami Heat.
The Miami Heat now begin a long offseason, and as Smith teased, expect things to change.
