Miami Heat president Pat Riley is known to swing for the fences, and here are his best home runs.
Pat Riley joined the Miami Heat in 1995 amidst much fanfare and controversy. Riley announced his departure to the New York Knicks via fax (how times have changed).
In his time with the Heat, Riley has transformed the Heat into one of the most respected and admired franchises in the league. Like his time with the Lakers and the Knicks, Riley’s teams have been renowned for their hard work, discipline and sacrifice. As he once stated, “you’re either in your’e out”.
He was not afraid to make moves, and wasted little time in doing so. Blockbuster trades for Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway in his first year in charge exemplify this.
The Heat have three titles, five trips to the NBA Finals and nine 50-plus win seasons (and it would be 11 if not for two lockout-shortened seasons) under his watch in his time on South Beach. Accomplishing back-to-back titles with separate franchises, as both a head coach and team president, speaks for itself.
This post will focus on the best moves of Riley’s time in Miami. The ranking of these moves are based on the impact each individual move made on the success and overall shape of the franchise.
Next: Begin Slideshow
5. Chris Bosh
July 10, 2010: Traded a 2011 first round pick to the Toronto Raptors in a sign-and-trade for Chris Bosh
One third of the “Big 3”, Bosh was a five-time all star prior to joining the Heat. He was seen as the perfect complement to his new superstar teammates in LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
One of the league’s leading scorers in his last season in Toronto, Bosh took some time adjusting to his role as “third banana”. At times, his willingness to take a backseat was unfairly judged by critics. They felt he was not playing up to the level in which he had shown in Toronto, instead of viewing the merits of playing such a role.
Over the ensuing years, Bosh’s willingness to take a back seat proved invaluable to the teams ability to reach four straight finals, and hence silenced his critics. His versatility up front allowed the Heat to enter the “small ball” era by having Bosh play at the 5. This allowed James to operate at the 4 and use his amazing combination of size and speed to breakdown opposing defenses.
Following James’ subsequent departure, the reward of a five-year, $110 million contract was great reward for his selflessness throughout the championship years.
It has been unfortunate that over that past two seasons that Bosh’s seasons have been severely interrupted due to recurrences of blood clots. Bosh has flourished the past two seasons when healthy, and it goes without saying that Riley will give Bosh every opportunity to prove his health and worth once again.
Next: 4. Riley's first blockbuster trade
4. Alonzo Mourning
November 3, 1995: Traded Matt Geiger, Khalid Reeves Glen Rice and a 1996 first round pick (Tony Delk) to the Charlotte Hornets for LeRon Ellis, Alonzo Mourning and Pete Myers
Having coached Kareem Abdul-Jabaar in Los Angeles and Patrick Ewing in New York, Riley clearly saw the value of a dominant big-man.
And that’s exactly what he got when he acquired Mourning via trade. Like his fellow Georgetown-allum Ewing, Mourning exhibited all the traits in which Riley values in a player. Heart. Passion. Discipline. And, in both cases, phenomenal talent.
Whilst giving up team stalwart Glen Rice and a future first rounder was a significant price to pay, Mourning quickly repaid the faith Riley had shown him. When coupled later with fellow all-star Tim Hardaway, this tandem in just their second season together would put together 61 wins on the way to several years of contention in the Eastern Conference.
Although this tandem would not achieve the ultimate success, Mourning helped put together multiple 50-win seasons, and helped set that standard for the future of Miami Heat teams. He would later win a title with the Heat with his second stint with the team in 2006.
Next: 3. The super trade
3. Shaquille O’Neal
July 14, 2004: Traded Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, a 2006 first round pick and a 2007 second round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers for Shaquille O’Neal
To get something you have to give up something, and that was definitely the case with this monster transaction.
Odom had just completed one super season with Miami. Butler was a very popular teammate with lots of upside. Grant was a sold, reliable veteran presence. However, the opportunity to land a player of the stature of O’Neal does not come along very often, and Riley saw the opportunity to pounce and made the bold move.
The first season as a member saw O’Neal team with Dwyane Wade to lead the Heat to the best record in the Eastern Conference. He could very well have led the Heat to the NBA Finals if it weren’t for an unfortunate injury sustained by Wade in their semi-final matchup with the defending champion Detroit Pistons.
Despite this inconvenience, the Heat took the Pistons to seven games. It truly demonstrated the value of O’Neal, a three-time NBA Finals MVP during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Following up the next season, O’Neal and superstar teammate Dwyane Wade went one better and led the Heat to their inaugural NBA title, whilst Wade was named NBA Finals MVP,
Next: 2. The franchise altering draft pick
2. Dwyane Wade
June 26, 2003: Selected Dwyane Wade with the fifth overall pick of the 2003 NBA Draft
Riley made a masterstroke with the fifth pick in what will go down as one of the greatest draft classes of all time.
With LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh already off the board, a choice between Wade and big man Chris Kaman had to be made. Riley always had a liking for big men, and having lost resident superstar big-man Alonzo Mourning to a kidney ailment, the lure of selecting Kaman was real.
Choosing Wade would result in setting up the franchise for a highly successfully next decade. Included in Wade’s resume are being crowned a three-time NBA champion, named a 12-time all-star and winning an Olympic gold medal in the 2008 Beijing games.
But perhaps his crowing achievement was winning MVP of the 2006 Finals in just his third season in the league. Averaging 34.7 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game on 47 percent shooting. Despite sharing the court with three-time finals MVP Shaquille O’Neal, Wade had a series for the ages.
He has been the heart, soul and face of the franchise over the past 13 seasons, and was pivotal in helping Riley recruit James and Bosh in forming the “Big 3.” He is destined for the Hall of Fame and will likely go down in history as the third greatest shooting guard of all time.
And although his recent departure was unexpected and stunning, his legacy within the whole South Florida sports scene is everlasting.
Next: Talents to South Beach
1. LeBron James
July 10, 2010: Traded a 2011 second round pick, 2012 second round pick, a 2013 first round pick and a future first round pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a sign-and-trade for LeBron James
One of the greatest free-agent signings in league history, Riley’s acquisition of James in the prime of his career was a monumental achievement.
James had already led the Cleveland Cavaliers to multiple 60-win seasons, and despite having a questionable supporting cast, his achievements at just age 25 were something to behold. This is not to mention his two NBA MVP’s, an Olympic Gold medal and six all-star games.
His decision to play for the Heat sent rippled across the NBA, and reinvigorated South Florida after a few disappointing seasons.
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His four seasons in South Beach returned two NBA titles. He himself earned two league MVP awards and, during the back-to-back titles of 2012 and 2013, he won the Finals MVP in each year.
When you factor in that each season in Miami resulted in a trip to the NBA Finals, it is impossible to look past this as Riley’s greatest accomplishment since beginning his reign in 1995.
His defining game for the Heat was Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals. Trailing 3-2 and heading into Boston, James had one of the greatest performances in NBA playoff history. The stat line of 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists is simply as good as it gets.
Next: What about Goran Dragic?
And perhaps the greatest impact of James can be measured in his departure. After leaving, the Heat went from participating in four consecutive Finals to missing the playoffs completely.
He will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest to ever play, and the Heat got him in his prime.