Five-Time NBA Champion Blames Pat Riley for LeBron James Leaving Miami Heat

LeBron James thrived in his four seasons with the Miami Heat, winning two championships and helping the team reach the NBA Finals every year.

By all accounts, the Big Three era—as short as it may have been—was an unquestioned success.

What would have happened had James stayed in Miami? Longtime NBA guard Ron Harper says Pat Riley’s presence is why we never learned the answer.

During a recent appearance on Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller’s podcast, Riley said he believes the Heat could have won five or six championships had James not returned to Cleveland in July 2014. The Heat have not won the NBA Finals since 2013. 

Harper, who won five titles with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, blamed James’ departure on Riley.

“Tell them why he left?” Harper wrote on X. “You wasn’t dealing with what comes with him.”

Riley never coached James in Miami. He’s served as the Heat’s president since 2008. James joined the Heat in July 2010. It’s also worth noting Harper never played under Riley.

For his part, Riley has discussed his up-and-down relationship with James in the past. In the 2018 book The Soul of Basketball, Riley admitted he was “absolutely livid” when James signed with the Cavaliers. 

However, Riley acknowledged he later understood why James left Miami for a second stint in Cleveland. James helped the Cavaliers to their first championship in 2016 and reached the Finals all four seasons in Cleveland.

“While there may have been some carnage always left behind when he made these kinds of moves, in Cleveland and also in Miami, he did the right thing,” Riley said.

Sources told ESPN in 2018 that James and Riley hadn’t spoken since 2014. 

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Jake Elman works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jakeelman97@gmail.com or follow him on X @JakeElman97.