Free Agency in 2010 revolved around LeBron James and his important decision. The then-Cavaliers superstar was an unrestricted free agent for the first time and teams lined up with offers. But the Heat won the sweepstakes with an offer he can’t refuse and the chance to win a championship.
Advertisement
However, despite knowing he’d take his talent to South Beach, Riley couldn’t help but celebrate like a fan when James announced that he was joining the Heat. On The OGs podcast, the 79-year-old reminisced about the surreal moment when the forward revealed he was heading to Miami. Riley said,
“It was so great, that night, LeBron [spoke] with Jim Gray on ‘The Decision.’ I remember being in South Beach and I was at a Red [the] Steakhouse and I think Dwyane was down at The Prime [112] or somewhere else. And I’ll never forget when he said, ‘I’m taking my talents to South Beach.’ You could hear the whole city. Everybody’s out on the street. I went out on the street and yelled and screamed.”
The veteran executive’s excitement was valid. He had just landed the biggest free agent in, arguably, the history of North American sports. He knew a championship would follow suit and it did. The Heat made it to the NBA Finals in each of James’ four seasons with the franchise, winning two.
The four-time MVP left the team in 2014 to return home to Cleveland. His exit left a sour taste in the Heat fans’ mouths as the bottom fell out in Miami. The team went from contenders to bottom-dwellers, while the Cavaliers embarked on a journey in the opposite direction.
Despite the forward turning his back on South Beach, Riley, like Cleveland, was willing to forget it and bring him back.
Riley would welcome LeBron back to the Heat
James’ exit in 2014 hit Riley hard. During an appearance on the Dan LeBatard Show in 2021, he revealed that he hit rock bottom and was incensed after the forward left the Heat and re-joined the Cavaliers. However, the veteran executive has always prioritized winning over his personal feelings. So when asked if he’d bring back the four-time NBA champion to Miami, he responded,
“I would leave the key under the doormat if he would call and let me know he’s coming. I would do that, but I doubt very much if that key …. that key’s rusted now… Look, I wish him nothing but the best. And if he ever wanted to come back, then I’ll put a new shiny key under that mat.”
James’ return to the Heat as a player will likely never materialize. However, he will one day return to the Kaseya Center to celebrate his time with the franchise and watch his jersey being lifted into the rafters, never to be worn again by another player.
