Heat exec Pat Riley challenges Lowry on fitness, "wasted year" comments

Miami Heat president Pat Riley met the media today for the first time since his team’s season ended.

And it’s safe to say he’s been making headlines, many of which were related to point guard Kyle Lowry.

Dealing with a hamstring injury, Lowry averaged just 7.8 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.6 rebounds in 10 games in the 2022 playoffs, his first season with the team after coming over from the Toronto Raptors.

During the regular season, Lowry dealt with a personal issue that caused him to miss a stretch of games in January and February, including three matchups against the Raptors.

Asked about Lowry’s conditioning, Riley was candid about the 36-year-old Lowry, who completed the first year of a three-year, $85-million deal with the Heat.

“The bottom line with me, and for me, as far as hoping you can get the most out of a player, is that you have to be in world class shape. You just have to be. That is something, as you get older, there is a point of diminishing returns,” Riley said of Lowry.

And here's Pat Riley talking about Kyle Lowry saying the Heat season was a "waste of a year."

"I've had that feeling myself… It was championship or bust for Kyle. He's very, very disappointed in the fact we couldn't get to the Finals and winning." pic.twitter.com/30WxwqIKj4

— Adam Laskaris (@adam_la2karis) June 6, 2022

“He definitely is going to have to address that. It will be addressed,” Riley continued. “To get to what the perfect overall conditioning is for him to be successful. He plays the game in a manner where he needs his strength and his size. He’s not Tyler Herro, he’s not that lean kind of guy. He can be in better shape. I do think the pain of losing… might change his mind a little bit.”

In a press conference after the Heat were eliminated in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Lowry called the season a “waste of a year,” adding that he “only plays to win championships.”

“I don’t think it was a waste of a year,” Riley said. “I’ve had that feeling myself as a coach when you’ve done as much as you can do. It was championship or bust for Kyle. He’s very, very disappointed in the fact we couldn’t get to the Finals and winning.”