“You Don’t Want Pat Riley To Coach This Team”: LeBron James Was Warned By Dwyane Wade On ‘The Godfather’s’ Uncompromising Ideals

LeBron James has had many great friends since entering the NBA in 2003. But, his closest friend, who has now retired, is none other than Dwyane Wade. The two were so close, that they partnered up together when Bron made the decision to move to the Miami Heat. It was a huge move, one that was made with the sole purpose of winning championships. In order to do that, the King felt they needed an experienced coach like Pat Riley. However, as D-Wade revealed on Club Shay Shay, he warned his good friend against it. He claimed he did not want the Godfather back.

Pat Riley was the head coach of the Heat when Flash won his first championship with the team back in 2006. A hard taskmaster, Riley was known for his strictness and was the one who established the so-called “Heat culture”. As such, D-Wade got a first-hand look at just how difficult a coach he was. And, as a result, was not at all eager to see him back in the driving seat.

Dwyane Wade warned LeBron James about having Pat Riley as coach of the Miami Heat

In 2010, LeBron James joined the Miami Heat, forming the infamous Heatles with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Upon his arrival, the King was eager to win his first championship. But, he expressed concern over working with a then-inexperienced coach like Erik Spoelstra. Picking an alternative, he apparently voiced his preference for having Pat Riley coach the team.

This is where D-Wade stepped in and warned LeBron. Although the President of the organization was an exceptional coach, Wade did not want him coaching the Heat. Having experienced what it was like being coached by Riley himself, the 13-time All-Star had no desire to go through it once again.

Riley was always a tough coach to work with. Only the best of the best could adapt to his disciplined coaching style. He would employ numerous tactics and insisted that his players be in world-class shape. Going so far as to check their body fat percentages, his impact is still felt to this day something that has now been labeled as “Heat culture”.

“I told him, ‘You don’t want Riley to coach this team’. Ain’t got nothing to do with Pat, I love him! ‘You don’t want Riley to coach this team!’. And, even though Spo was not experienced, we needed a coach that was experience so that we could win championships right away. We gonna help him grow! You don’t want the Godfather to come back. He did it in 2006, I experienced it! That was enough!”

With that in mind, Wade was more than happy to work with Coach Spo. Informing LeBron that they would help him become a great coach, they lived up to their end of the bargain. Fast forward past the LeBron era and the Miami Heat are still a formidable force in the NBA, let alone the Eastern Conference. After all, they still have Erik Spoelstra, arguably the best coach in the NBA.

Shaquille O’Neal spilled the beans about Pat Riley’s insane 13% body fat rule

Dwyane Wade may have had a fear of Pat Riley, but he was always in the President’s good books. However, one player who groaned at the prospect of bowing to Riley’s demands was Shaquille O’Neal. Joining the team in 2006, Shaq once shared the secret to Miami’s success, the body fat rule.

He recalled how he received a letter from Pat, the summer before he joined informing him of the same. He was instructed to maintain a body fat percentage of 13%. A rule that was adjusted just for him, as the actual criteria was 10%. Nevertheless, if he failed to do so he would be fined $1000 or at worst, suspended.

The rule worked wonders, but as expected, it left a sour taste in many players’ mouths. Fortunately for the current Heat regime, they do not have to work under such conditions. However, the spirit of Riley’s unorthodox coaching methods still lingers in the organization even to this day.