After putting together one of the most talented and intimidating trios in NBA history, Pat Riley felt like the Miami Heat were an unstoppable force that would win championships for the foreseeable future with superstars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh leading the way.
Ultimately, the trio of James, Wade and Bosh led the Heat to four straight NBA Finals appearances from 2011 to 2014, resulting in the team splitting those series with two NBA titles to show for their efforts, which might’ve been an underachievement in the grand scheme of things.
Perhaps the most disappointing part of the Big 3 in Miami was that it only lasted four seasons, as James decided to leave the franchise and rejoin the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he eventually won another title in 2016.
Riley recently opened up about the Big 3 breaking up and what happened with his efforts to keep things going in Miami.
“It didn’t upset me, but it hurt me that we couldn’t keep that team together because I think it was a five-or-six-championship team,” Riley said, via The OGs Show. “I really do, if we could’ve kept them all together and stay healthy from that standpoint.”
Pat Riley on trying to keep the big 3 together in Miami
The OGs x Pat Riley out now here: https://t.co/5RTdHu0N7G pic.twitter.com/eKSX3mjRnp
— The OGs Show (@theOGsShow) November 26, 2024
In the end, James had other plans, as it is safe to say he no longer wanted to be viewed as a villain in the NBA and wanted to reshape his image and the narrative surrounding him by returning to his hometown for another shot to win a title with the team that drafted him in 2003.
As for the Heat, they were able to return to the NBA Finals a few years later with Jimmy Butler leading the charge, but they ultimately lost to James and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and to the Denver Nuggets in 2023.
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