Miami Heat Fans Taunt LeBron James By Saying He Needs Pat Riley


Miami Heat fans are still upset with LeBron James for taking his talents back to Ohio. When the Cleveland Cavaliers came into town to take on the Heat, the fans decided to taunt one of the best players in the NBA. James was unable to win a championship in the National Basketball Association until Pat Riley lured him to South Beach. According to Fox Sports, Heat fans decided to undermine LeBron by chanting that he needed Riley to accomplish his championship dreams.

During the first seven years of his career in the NBA, LeBron James was the franchise player for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 6’8?, 260 pound forward led his home state team to five straight NBA Playoffs appearances. James led the Cavaliers to one appearance in the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, though, he was unable to overcome the team effort of the San Antonio Spurs, which was considered quite a disappointment for James.

Miami Heat president Pat Riley
Pat Riley [Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images]
Since he had lost faith in the Cleveland Cavaliers management and wanted to ensure that his resume would not be devoid of an NBA Championship, LeBron James made the tough decision and decided to bolt in free agency. Through a big spectacle that was not completely well thought out, James decided to form a super team with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat roster, which made LeBron one of the most hated athletes in the world.

Though his popularity took a hit, the gamble worked out great for LeBron James. In his four seasons with the Miami Heat, James led the franchise to the NBA Finals. They were able to win two championships by defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. People no longer questioned LeBron, because he finally had his rings. The man who many thought was going to be the best ever in the National Basketball Association finally proved that he could win it all.

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade [Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images]
Things haven’t worked out as well for LeBron James since leaving the Miami Heat to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers. General manager David Griffin has done a superb job of putting talent around James. Kyrie Irving was already with the Cavaliers. He’s a star guard in the NBA. Griffin added on to that by acquiring Kevin Love from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 6’10”, 260 pound center has been to the All Star game a handful of times.

Unfortunately for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the trio of Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, and Kevin Love have yet to really mesh and become a cohesive threat to the NBA. They made it to the Finals last season, but they weren’t able to overcome the Golden State Warriors. While they’re sitting on top of the Eastern Conference right now, many believe that the team is not going to be capable of beating those Warriors or the San Antonio Spurs.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love
Kevin Love [Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images]
The reason why things worked out well for LeBron James with the Miami Heat is because Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh learned to embraced their roles as secondary players. Wade was long the franchise player for the Miami Heat and even won an NBA Championship on his own, but ceded control of his franchise to James. Bosh was the star of the Toronto Raptors, but he decided to become a defensive stopper and three point shooter. The same hasn’t happened with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.

It’s not a ridiculous notion for Miami Heat fans to believe that Pat Riley played a big part in LeBron James winning NBA Championships. Riley and Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra managed to convince three superstars to combine for the greater good. The Cleveland Cavaliers have yet to figure that out.

[Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images]

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